Agriculture development govt's top agenda: Miftah.

ISLAMABAD -- Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Miftah Ismail on Saturday said as the agriculture sector development was on top of the government's agenda, it decided to withdraw duties and taxes on different agriculture implements, including seeds and agro-machinery.

He reaffirmed the government's firms commitment to upgrade and uplift local agriculture sector on modern lines and provide special incentives on farm mechanization in order to enhance per-acre output of all major and minor crops to fulfill the local needs.

Addressing the post-budget press conference, the minister said the government had proposed special relief in taxes and duties on different agriculture implements and machinery to promote and develop the agriculture sector.

The government, he said, allocated Rs 21 billion in the federal budget 2022-23 to increase crops yield, besides uplifting the livestock sector.

The minister said the Ministry of National Food Security and Research and Planning Ministry in consultation with the provinces had also devised a three-year strategy for the agriculture development. The strategy was aimed at dealing with the impact of climate change challenges on the agriculture sector, besides enhancing the production of all major and minor crops, oil seeds and pulses for the prosperity of farming communities across the country and to achieve sustainable agriculture growth.

The other objective of the initiative, he added, was to promote smart agriculture for achieving self-sufficiency in agri produces, besides value addition and agro processing to make the sector more profit oriented and competitive in local as well as international markets.

The minister said the...