January 9, 2019: The Ministry of Planning Development and Reforms has so far given the authorization to release Rs 5.762 billion for various agriculture sector development projects under its Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) for the financial year 2019-20 as against the total allocation of Rs 12.047 billion.

Meanwhile, the authorities concerned had also given the authorization to release funds initiated under the Prime Minister's Agriculture Emergency Program to uplift agriculture and livestock sectors in the country.

According to the PSDP releases data of the Planning Commission of Pakistan, the authorities concerned had given the authorization of release of Rs 5.762 billion for the overall developmental projects of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research under its PSDP 2019-20 as against the total allocation of Rs12.047 billion.

The authorities concerned had also given the authorization of release Rs 2.750 billion for a national program for improvement of watercourses phase-I, as against the total allocation of Rs 5.500 billion in order to water conservation.

Under the current year's development agenda, authorization of the release of Rs 300 million for national oilseed enhancement program as the government had allocated Rs600 million in its PSDP 2019-20.

An amount of Rs 200 million had also released for a pilot project for the development of shrimp farming clusters in order to promote the aquaculture and shrimp farming in the country as an amount of Rs 400 million earmarked for the projects in current year's development program.

Meanwhile, Rs 30 million was released for the Prime Minister Initiative for backyard poultry farming, Rs 80 million for saving the calf and Rs100 million for promotion of trout cage farming in Northern Areas of the country as against their respective allocations.

In order to enhance the productivity of all major crops, authorizations of release of Rs 255 million had given for rice as against the allocation of Rs 450 million, Rs100 million for sugarcane out of the total allocation of Rs 200 million for the current fiscal year.

The Planning Commission of Pakistan has also given the authorization of release of Rs 325 million for the productivity enhancement of wheat as against the total allocation of Rs 650 million of the current financial year.

In order to enhance the output of cotton, the government had released Rs40 million for better cotton initiatives as against the total allocation of Rs50 million during the current year's PSDP.

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