Plans underway to make Punjab, KPK self-reliant in agriculture growth.

Byline: Ahsan Nisar

Steps to be taken to uplift agriculture yield

According to National Nutrition Survey 2018-19, 40 percent of children up to five years of age in Pakistan have different physical and mental health issues, and according to the survey conducted by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Pakistan ranks third in this menace. The government has launched 'Backyard poultry initiative' under the Prime Minister's National Agriculture Emergency Program under which five million pre-vaccinated desi (local) chickens will be distributed among public across the country at subsidized rates which aims to provide adequate animal protein to undernourished population and alleviate poverty. The total cost of the project is Rs 1,635.471 million. Of the total cost, 30 percent would be borne by the federal and provincial governments while 70 percent would be the beneficiary's share.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (KPK) government has decided to start an ambitious agriculture emergency program from next month by implementing projects of water conservation and augmentation, increasing production of cereal crops and oil seeds, facilitate enterprises of livestock and poultry farming. The province is dependent on supplies of wheat flour, rice, pulses, fruits and vegetables from Punjab and Sindh. But development of agriculture has always remained at the bottom of priorities. Because of water scarcity 1.8 million acres cultivable land is yet to be brought under extensive cultivation of crops and fruit orchards.

The launching of big water conservation projects like Chashma Right Bank Canal Project (CRBC) and KurranmTangi dam can serve as big leap forward in bringing vast tracts of fertile agriculture land in the rain-fed areas of southern districts. In the southern districts of the province there are dozens of potential sites of such small dams each of which can cost less than 5 million rupees but can store water for thousands of acres of land. It would...

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