Plan devised to improve crops productivity by 25 percent

[Naveed Yaseen]

By Ijaz Kakakhel

ISLAMABAD: For improving conventional farming practices through modernization and to improve crop productivity by 10-25% at farm level, the government initiated a scheme namely, “Improving conventional Farming Practices through Provision of Farm Machinery to Farmers” with a cost of Rs 10.698 billion, sources told Daily Times here on Thursday.

The scheme envisages supply of farm machinery to farmers (except tractors) on one-time financial assistance at 50 percent cost sharing basis subject to maximum subsidy limit of Rs 350,000 in order to improve agricultural inputs efficiency and conventional farming practices, thereby increasing farmers’ income. Objective of the scheme is to accelerate agricultural mechanization to help improve efficiencies of agriculture inputs thereby making crop production cost competitive for export in international market. It would also help in water conservation and crop productivity enhancement through precision in farm operations by use of efficient and effective agricultural machinery.

According to the scheme, in total 84,516 implements (Punjab 50225, Sindh 17020, NWFP 995, Balochistan 2206, FATA 2829, FANA 2951, AJK 7590 and ICT 700) would be provided in all the four provinces and special areas. District wise distribution of type and quantity of afore mentioned machinery would be worked out by the Provincial Steering Committee within the yearly budgetary provisions available in the PC-I of the project, the sources maintained.

Under this program, training to operators/tractor drivers would be given. Research and Development for adoption, pilot testing, fine-tuning and indigenization of new implements were proposed. Furthermore, provisions have also been made for local training, operational expenses and third party consultants. The sources claimed that the ministry of food and agriculture would execute and manage this project through Federal Water Management Cell (FWMC) by appointing an independent Federal Project Director. At provincial level, Director General Agriculture would act as Provincial Project Coordinators whereas the provincial officers would engage in implementation of the project.

The government has allocated Rs 100 million in Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) 2009-10 for the project, which would be completed in five years duration (2009-2014). Main sources of funding for this project was loan extended by Islamic Development Bank amounting to Rs 5.265 billion, Rs 514.270 million would be provided through Federal PSDP of MINFA and Rs 4.919 billion from beneficiaries. The scheme would help the government in addressing several issues, including low productivity of crops, lack of trained extension workers and weak human resources development in science and technology, poor marketing infrastructure and lack of export orientation and others.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...2009_pg5_6