LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly was told on Wednesday that a record sum of Rs11 billion had been spent on agriculture research in the province during the last three years.

Opening a general discussion on agriculture, minister Syed Hussain Jehanian Gardezi said the incumbent government had spent Rs11 billion on research between 2018 and 2021, a `record’ in the history of the province.

He said the government had so far distributed digital Kisan cards among 0.66 million farmers as digitalisation of the subsidy had eliminated corruption from the system.

He said the government was also about to extend subsidy on the purchase of the latest farming machinery, while the private sector was being included in the provision of extension services.

About the DAP compost crisis, he said prices of the fertiliser had increased from $350 to $919 per tonne within a year in the international market as Pakistan imported 70 per cent of the fertiliser from China and the rest of the 30 per cent from Saudi Arabia and Morocco.

Meanwhile, PML-N’s Samiullah Khan drew the attention of the chair towards the absence of most of the ministers from the house.

Deputy Speaker Dost Mazari had ruled a day ago that at least 50pc cabinet members should be present at a time in the house.

Mr Khan pointed out that Education Minister Murad Ras, Excise Minister Hafiz Mumtaz, housing minister and other ministers holding important portfolios were missing from the proceedings.

He demanded that Chief Minister Usman Buzdar should himself respond to queries related to various departments as their respective ministers were not joining the house proceedings.

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2021