KARACHI – In an effort to boost the agriculture sector of the province, the Sindh government on Saturday held the balloting for distribution of 4,000 tractors among the growers of the province.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah performed the balloting in a simple but impressive ceremony at the Chief Minister’s House.
Speaking on the occasion, he said the PPP-led government under its party manifesto has made efforts to boost up the agriculture sector while making concerted efforts for alleviation of poverty in the province, particularly the people belonging to the deprived section of the society.
Shah said the scheme, for provision of tractors to small farmers and growers possessing 25 acres land as an incentive, was a combined facility from the federal and the Sindh government.
He added that the agriculture sector is an important sector of economy of Pakistan and the credit goes to the present government for taking prompt measures in a short period, with the result that not only the country has seen progress and development in agriculture sector but also the expansion of cultivation and increase in yield, reduced poverty in the province.
The chief minister said the Sindh province fully depends on the agriculture sector, as 70 percent of its population is dependant on agriculture.
“The government is distributing 4,000 tractors among the growers in a transparent manner through balloting. A subsidy of Rs 200,000 on small tractors and Rs 300,000 on large tractors is being given, while 25 percent of the tractors will be distributed among female landowners,” said Shah.
Last year, 5,000 tractors were distributed among growers in a transparent manner through computer balloting on a limited number of applications, he said, adding that this year, more than 46,000 applications have been received from the growers.
Appreciating the vision and leadership of President Asif Ali Zardari, the chief minister said that the president had raised the support price of wheat last year as an incentive to growers, with the result that maximum area was brought under cultivation and the province became self-sufficient in produce of wheat and other crop like rice, sugarcane, fruits and vegetables.
He said that there has been an increase in the yield per acre for many crops and it is for the first time that the Sindh province has exported wheat, adding that during the previous governments, Sindh had to make frequent requests to Punjab for supply of wheat.
Due to the friendly policies of the present government, improvements in the agriculture sector have been witnessed and even in comparison with the other three provinces, there has been an increase in per acre yield of many crops, Shah said, adding ‘still more than 200,000 maunds of wheat pertaining to last year’s crop, are in storage.’
Despite heavy floods last year, the government has earned foreign exchange by exporting crops, he said.
The chief minister maintained that under the vision of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto and the policies of President Zardari, women are being encouraged and 25 acres each are being given to female growers.
“So far 50,000 acres of land has been distributed among female growers while this year also, an additional 50,000 acres will be distributed among them,” said Shah.
The balloting ceremony was attended among others by Federal Hajj and Labour Minister Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, Sindh Agriculture Minister Syed Ali Nawaz Shah, Law Minister Muhammad Ayaz Soomro, Adviser to Chief Minister Rashid Rabbani, Chief Secretary Abdul Subhan Memon, Additional Chief Secretary (Planning and Development) Muhammad Ishaque Lashari, Secretary to Chief Minister Alamuddin Bullo, Agriculture Secretary Agha Jan Akhtar, Information Secretary Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah, Irrigation Secretary Rafiq Ahmed Memon and MPAs, office bearers of Sindh Chamber of Agriculture and Sindh Abadgar Board.
