NA Speaker for devising mechanism to extend relief to drought-hit regions

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly's Special Committee on Agricultural Products deliberated on the design of the ‘Kamyab Kisaan’ programme to promote youth engagement and employment in the agriculture sector.

It also took up the calling attention notice regarding relief for the drought and calamity-hit regions across the country and discussed the way forward for the structural transformation of the agriculture sector.

Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser directed the sub-committee to furnish a concrete budget proposal for the agriculture sector and urged the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, Zarai Taraqiati Bank and members of the committee to devise a mechanism for extending relief to the drought-hit regions within two weeks.

The mover of the calling attention notice, MNA Ihsanullah Tiwana, briefed the committee that farmers in Thal areas produce rain-fed organic chickpeas which account for 80 per cent of Pakistan’s chickpeas production.

The region was consistently hit by natural calamities (drought affected) and duly notified by the provincial government. The calamities have affected the farmers' crops and earnings, resulting in loan default by the farmers in these areas. He proposed that the accrued mark-up should be waived by the ZTBL and that the Covid-19 could be used to partially repay the small farmers’ outstanding principal loan amount in the calamity-hit Mouzas and villages as declared by the provincial government.

He also underlined the need for the establishment of a state of the art research center to assist the farmers to develop climate resistant varieties and raise their income through a high density plantation and vertical farming. The committee endorsed the proposals and recommended immediate action and relief.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Youth Affairs Usman Dar briefed the committee on the upcoming programme for youth in agriculture and appreciated the support of the committee. He stated that loans for agricultural equipment, inputs, capacity building and business development services constituted critical elements of the ‘Kamyab Kisan Programme’.

The speaker informed the committee that the ‘Kamyab Kisan’ programme was one of the proposed policy instruments of the Special Committee on Agricultural Products and he urged the members of the National Assembly to assist in effective execution of the programme on the ground.

The minister for Aviation regretted that the voice of farmers and pro-agriculture politicians was weak and subsequently the sector was ignored in successive budget programmes and relief packages.

He stated that the support extended to the sector was not commensurate with the sector's contributions. Endorsing his views, the members of the committee highlighted that practically a little relief and priority was given to the agriculture sector in policy planning and that the sector was successively ignored.

It was stated that inordinate delays in decision making pertaining to incentives for the farmers took a heavy toll on declining productivity. They stated that the expensive wheat import was preferred over incentives to the domestic farmers to raise agro-productivity of Pakistan.

Federal Minister for Finance Hamad Azhar stated that the agricultural revitalisation was a top priority of the prime minister and assured that the Ministry of Finance would work closely with the committee to turn around the agriculture sector. He stated that the reported sale of urea for this year was the highest in the last 10 years and that wheat and sugarcane growers have comparatively received better prices under the current government. Referring to the hike in price of DAP, he clarified that DAP was imported and the rise in international prices caused an upward surge in the prices of DAP. The speaker urged the committee to come up with proposals and mechanism for subsidy on DAP.