ISLAMABAD, Oct 10: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Tuesday said that policies in the agriculture sector were aimed at raising farmers’ income and improving their living standard and hoped that the decision to reduce fertiliser prices would help increase productivity and the per acre yield.

“The basic objective of the government’s policies is to enhance farmers’ income and improve their living standard,” he said while addressing growers’ representatives from all the provinces.

Mr Aziz said he was convinced that poverty alleviation and increasing people’s living standard were directly linked to development in the agriculture sector.

“Agriculture sector is the mainstay that effects two-thirds of the economy and provides income opportunities to about 65 per cent of people,” he pointed out.

The government had given Rs12.5 billion subsidy in fertilisers, he said, adding that prices of urea in Pakistan were the lowest in the world.

He asked the farmers to adopt latest technologies to catch up with the rest of the world in the agriculture sector.

He noted with satisfaction that government’s policies were leaving a positive impact on farmers’ income and referred to the increasing sale of motorcycles and mobile phones in rural areas in support of the point.

However, he identified the distribution system and agri-business as the areas that needed improvement.

In the supply area, he said, renowned wholesalers Metro and Macro were soon opening their outlets in Pakistan that would benefit farmers through better quality and improved supply system.

He said the government was following a comprehensive strategy to increase supply of irrigation water and referred to building of water storages, improving the irrigation system and lining of watercourses in this regard.

The government, he pointed out, had also recently approved a Rs15 billion Drip-Irrigation Project to ensure adequate water supply to farmers.

The prime minister stressed the need for quality seeds and benefiting from the world research.

Assuring the farming community of support, he said: “It has always been the endeavour of the government to provide maximum facilities and incentives to farmers.”—APP