Farmers and agriculturists of Khyber Pakthunkhwa (KP) have welcomed the mega Rs 341-billion relief package for farmers as announced by the prime minister and termed it a very positive step of the present government to promote agricultural sector and solve the financial problems they had been facing.
Praising Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for announcing the relief package for poor farmers and growers, farmers said it would greatly help increase the per acre production and bolster industrial sector which was dependent on agriculture.
Misal Khan, a farmer from the Nowshera district told APP that the prime minister had won the hearts and minds of hundreds of thousands of farmers and people associated with the agriculture sector with his announcement of the huge relief package which included direct cash support and provision of soft agriculture loans facilities.
Khan said that global reduction in the price of commodities had affected the income of farmers while an increase in the prices of seeds, fertilizer and pesticides had further increased the cost of production.
With this package, he said not only financial problems of poor farmers and growers would be addressed but it would also pave way for progressive agricultural farming on the scientific lines in all the provinces.
Farmers also welcomed setting up of Rs 20 billion fund to reduce prices of fertilizers, which would lessen prices of Potassium and Nitrate fertilizers by Rs 500 per bag.
Khan said that these positive endeavours would help increase per acre production of cotton, rice, wheat and other seasonal crops.
He said that farmers of areas where irrigation system was not available and who relied on electricity-run tube-wells for irrigation purposes would hugely benefit from the relief package.
As per the relief package, mark up-free loans would be provided to the farmers who own up to 12.5 acres of land for setting up solar tube-wells. Mark up of seven years would be paid by the federal government with a cost of Rs 14.5 billion.
This would ensure savings of Rs 1,600 and Rs 500 per day for farmers running tube-wells on diesel for five hours daily and on petrol for the same duration respectively.
