ISLAMABAD: The federal government had released Rs 725.697million for various agriculture and livestock sectors uplift projects of Ministry of National Food Security and Research under its Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) 2018-19 as against the total allocations of Rs 1,143.073 million.
In order to reduce the heavy reliance on the imported edible oil, which was consuming a huge chunk of foreign exchange reserves annually, the government had embarked upon a plan and formulated a strategy for the promotion of olive cultivation on commercial scale in the country and had earmarked Rs300 million in annual development program for fiscal year 2018-19.
Meanwhile, an amount of Rs286.130 million had been released for the above-mentioned projects as against its total allocations for the current fiscal year of Rs300 million by the mid of the last month of FY, 2018-19, according to the figures of Planning Commission of Pakistan.
In order to promote the agriculture sector in tribal areas, the government had also spent an amount of Rs111.610 million on the up-gradation of arid zone research institute (AZRI) to the level of AZRC and establishment of new adaptive res.cum demonstration institute at Seakach, Wana, South Waziristan Agency, Miranshah, North Waziristan Agencies (FATA) Tank and Matora, Lakki Marwat as against the total allocation of Rs254.743 million for current fiscal year.
Under PSDP 2018-19, the government had provided Rs68.310 for strengthening as well as up-gradation of agriculture and livestock research system of arid zone research institute, Umerkot-Sindh to promote these sectors in arid zone as against the total allocation of Rs100 million.
An amount of Rs 70 million was also released for risk-based control of foot and mouth disease across the country to make it FMD free as the government had earmarked an amount of Rs100million for current fiscal for this project.
It may be recalled that the government has also enhanced its budgetary allocations for agriculture sector development by 1,200% and proposed to spend an amount of Rs12 billion of different projects of national food safety and security.
In addition to that, government was also intended to spend an amount of over Rs296 billion in agriculture sector reforms, crop productivity enhancement, and livestock, fisheries and poultry development as well as for water resource management during next five years.
