LAHORE: Farmers demand that small landholders, particularly from the rain-fed areas, should be given preference in the tube-well solarisation scheme announced in the federal budget.

Lauding the pro-agriculture budgetary measures, they urge the government to ensure that benefits of the policy reach those who really deserve it.

The steps taken for cutting prices of solar systems would benefit the farming sector only if the authorities ensure that the small landholders from Thal and other rain-fed areas, with meager resources, are given preference in the scheme, says Amjad Magsi, a progressive farmer from Bhakkar district.

He argues that subsoil water in the rain-fed Thal desert is suitable for agriculture but the local resource-less population can neither install nor run tube-wells on costlier electricity or diesel.

He says economically feasible solar tube wells will also be environment-friendly and add to the agriculture GDP as well as to the income of the farming community in the poorly developed region.

Mr Magsi demands that the procedure for applying for subsidy on the solar system should also not be cumbersome as the farmers in the Thal region are mostly illiterate and cannot follow complicated procedures.

About the zero taxes and duties on import of seed, he says it will help the agriculture sector, which is facing the wrath of uncertain weather patterns due to climate change.

“Import of high-yielding and climate-smart seeds will definitely help the farmers,” he says, pleading that the government should ensure that the importers do not manipulate the system and fleece the farming community by not transferring them benefit of the duty and tax cut.

Published in Dawn, June 13th, 2023