Govt releases Rs3.1bn for agriculture, livestock development

January 18, 2024 (MLN): The government has released an amount of Rs3.1 billion for various agriculture and livestock uplift projects under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) 2023-24 as against the total allocation of Rs8.85bn, as APP reported.

The amount was released during the first six months of the current financial year (July-December) for the completion of different ongoing development schemes, besides initiating the new projects of vital importance, said an official in the Ministry of National Food Security and Research.

Talking to APP on Monday, he said that out of the total released funds, an amount of Rs430  million had spent sofar on different development schemes during the period under review for achieving sustainable agriculture growth and economic development of the country.

The government has allocated Rs 8.85bn for the Ministry of National Food Security and Research in its PSDP) 2023-24 for different projects relating to agriculture and livestock sectors' development in the country, he added.

He said that under PSDP 2023-24, an amount of Rs8.6bn would be spent on the completion of 21 ongoing developmental projects, whereas Rs250bn was allocated for three new schemes during the current financial year to achieve sustainable agriculture growth.

The government has allocated Rs2.8bn for a national program for the improvement of watercourses phase-II, and Rs900m for the national program for enhancing the commend area in Barani areas of Pakistan, and Rs700m for the promotion of olive cultivation on a commercial scale, he added.

Meanwhile, Rs500m was earmarked for locust emergency and food security, Rs400m for water conservation in the Barani areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Rs300m for promoting research for productivity enhancement in pulses, and Rs248m was allocated for the production enhancement of wheat during the current financial year.

In PSDP 2023-24, he said that the government has allocated Rs147m for better cotton initiative, Rs100m for cage culture cluster development, and Rs240m for the establishment of consumer sourcing seed authenticity system and strengthening of labs of FSC&RD.

An amount of Rs500m was also allocated for the national oil seed enhancement program, Rs130m for the productivity enhancement of sugarcane Rs235m for the productivity enhancement of rice, and Rs440m for pilot shrimp farming cluster development.

Besides, the government has also allocated Rs100m for the Pakistan-Korea joint program on certified seed potato production system, Rs100m for professional capacity building in agriculture national reforms and Rs50m for the horticulture support program.

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