PM reaffirms support for smart subsidy.

ISLAMABAD -- Prime Minister Imran Khan said the other day that facilitation of small farmers was among the foremost priorities of his government. The prime minister observed this while chairing a meeting that reviewed matters pertaining to agro production, especially the facilitation of small farmers. Earlier, in a session with a select group of journalists, Engro Fertilizers CFO Imran Ahmed shared that over 50pc of the farmland is owned by less than 10pc of farmers in Pakistan, resulting in landholding being concentrated in the hands of rich landowners.

However, he added, the remaining 90pc of farmers have very small landholdings which highlight the significance of small and subsistence farmers in Pakistan's agri-sector employment. In this scenario, the subsidy given by the government on urea produced on imported LNG is directly and disproportionately benefitting the large farm owners, whose agricultural income remains untaxed. Punjab Agriculture Minister Malik Nauman Langrial, in a closed-door meeting with the media, disclosed that the government planned to unleash a revolution in the agriculture sector by launching the 'Kissan Card', a step aimed at disbursing 'targeted subsidy to small farmers'.

'Farmers having up to five acres of land would get direct subsidy on fertilizers through National Rural Support Programme (NRSP). As many as five million farmers will benefit from this in the next two years,' he informed. The prime minister also pointed out that the agriculture policy, especially the focus on facilitation of small farmers, was the manifestation of the government's commitment...