Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday directed the relevant authorities to present a policy framework by the end of this month for the provision of easy loans to farmers engaged in medium and small-scale agricultural activities.

In June, the prime minister reaffirmed his government’s commitment to revitalising the agriculture sector, urging relevant authorities to reduce the tax burden on the sector. He also called for introducing sustainable reforms to boost agriculture.

Chairing a review meeting on planning for agricultural development and agri-financing today, PM Shehbaz directed the authorities to “prepare and present a comprehensive plan by the end of this month for providing farmers with easy loans and introducing a system in the agri-financing sector aligned with modern requirements”.

“Priority should be given to providing modern agricultural facilities to farmers owning less than 12 acres of land,” the prime minister said.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Ministers Ahad Khan Cheema and Rana Tanveer Hussain, Advisor to the Prime Minister Muhammad Ali, Ministers of State Bilal Azhar Kiani and Abdul Rehman Kanju, Special Assistant Haroon Akhtar, Governor State Bank Jameel Ahmed, Chief Coordinator Musharraf Zaidi, and other senior officials attended the meeting.

He said the development of Pakistan was linked to the progress of the agriculture sector and value addition of the agri-products.

“Comprehensive planning should also be carried out for small-scale industrial machinery access, aimed at processing farmers’ produce into exportable goods,” the prime minister stressed.

The premier also pointed out that the government was accelerating the reform process to provide farmers with modern agricultural equipment, quality seeds, artificial intelligence, better water use, on-farm small industries, and other facilities.

“Steps are also being included in the reforms for providing farmers with necessary facilities and training for increasing exports through the processing of agricultural produce,” he added.

On the occasion, a detailed briefing was given on ongoing agricultural reforms, the performance of the Agricultural Development Bank Limited, and the loans being provided to farmers.

Earlier this month, PM had unveiled a scheme for offering soft agricultural loans to farmers under the Public Private Partnership model.

In March, the PM had vowed to revitalise the country’s agriculture sector, achieve food self-sufficiency, and boost farm exports, saying that in the next few years, an agricultural revolution can be brought to Pakistan if the federal government, in collaboration with provinces, provides reasonably priced inputs to farmers.