Fakhar for formulating business plan to set up new agri markets.

ISLAMABAD -- Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam on Wednesday called for formulating a proper business plan in order to develop modern agriculture markets in D G Khan, Rawalpindi and Lahore.

Chairing a meeting here on the agriculture sector projects under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) in Punjab, he said the agricultural initiatives required full coordination of the federal and provincial authorities, besides effective and transparent implementation.

He viewed that per-acre yield of different crops in the country was far below as compared to the global and regional averages.

The minister said the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank would provide $200 million and $15 million respectively and there was also a component of Punjab in it as well.

Fakhar Imam said the new tissue culture lab in Bahawalpur would be replicated in the field for date palm to facilitate the...