Govt plans silos dedicated to farmers

ISLAMABAD: The government is planning storage houses dedicated to farmers’ produces under the phase two of agriculture transformation plan, a PM aide said.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Food Security Jamshed Cheema said the training of farmers for better output is necessary and can be done by bringing together farmers and providing extension services from the agriculture transformation plan (ATP).

Cheema emphasised importance of marketing for the ATP to be effective, while addressing a meeting on sub-group of the Economic Advisory Council chaired by the Minister of Food Security and Research Fakhar Imam.

The meeting was attended by SAPM on Finance Waqar Masood, Adviser to the Chief Minister Punjab on Economic Affairs Salman Shah, Sustainable Development Policy Institute Executive Director Abid Sulehri and others.

Imam spoke about the importance of research in the agriculture sector and its transformation to the farmers to maximise potential and outcomes.

The minister said the ATP should focus on cotton in phase-2 as well to revive and make cotton a key crop in Pakistan again. Cotton specific subsidies in seeds, pesticide and fertilisers will help cotton growers in Pakistan, he added.

The minister also signified the dire need of an extension system so that exchange of information is fluid between farmers and research institutions. In the meeting it was decided as to how the subgroup will coordinate steps into a consolidated plan regarding the ATP’s phase 2, identify gaps and issues and develop a clear objective so that the federal and provincial governments are on the same page.

Restructuring of the economic infrastructure of Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation and provincial food departments was suggested. It was discussed that farmers and growers are to be facilitated regarding farm to market access while reducing the role of the middlemen.