LAHORE: As sunflower sowing starts, Punjab plans to subsidise oil seed crops this year at a cost of Rs700 million by giving Rs5,000 for each registered farmer of the crop and also subsidising implements by 50 per cent.

The government wants to achieve at least 100,000 acres this year in order to reduce the import quantity and bill of edible oil. The country imports edible oil at a cost of Rs300 billion each year, testing its precious foreign exchange reserves.

This subsidy is in addition to the Rs15,000 subsidy provided by the government on agricultural inputs each year. After failing to achieve the canola target last year, the provincial government this year added it to the subsidy plan as well. The province is targeting 56,623 acres, this season.

Punjab is running a Rs5 billion plan, spread over four years (2020–24), to promote all oil seed crops that could help reduce the import bill. This year alone, Punjab has spared Rs700 million and the federal government has contributed Rs109 million – totalling Rs809 million for the year. The provincial agriculture department on Friday issued an advisory, asking farmers in the southern part of the province to start sowing sunflowers and try to complete it by Jan 31. It also asked the farmers to ensure 23,000 plants per acre so that the desired area could be ensured.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2022