ISLAMABAD                   -              The Ministry of Planning Development and Reforms has so far given the authorization to release Rs8,176m 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 Rs12.047b.

Meanwhile, authorities concerned had also given the authorization to release funds initiated under Prime Minister’s Agriculture Emergency Program as the government is intended to spent about Rs390 billion on on the uplift of agriculture sector during next four years.

Under agriculture emergency program, the government had allocated special funds for the productivity enhancement of all major crops including wheat, rice, sugarcane and maize.

The government had authorized to release Rs4,400 million for national program for improvement of water courses against the allocation of Rs5,500 million during the period under review.

Authorization to release of an amount of Rs480 million was given for national oil seed enhancement project which was initiated under Prime Minister Agriculture Emergency Program and amount of Rs600 million was allocated for the project during current financial year.

 According to the PSDP releases data of the Planning Commission of Pakistan, the authorities concerned had given the approval of release Rs 360 million for productivity enhancement of rice against the total allocation of Rs450 million and Rs 160 million for sugarcane productivity enhancement. In order to enhance the output of cotton, the government had released Rs40 million for the better cotton initiatives as against the total allocation of Rs50 million during the current year’s PSDP. The authorities concerned had also given the authorization of release Rs 150 million for national pesticides resides residues monitoring system in the country as against the total allocation of Rs 300 million in order to make fertilizers and pesticides use more efficient. Under current year’s development agenda, authorisation of the release of Rs 200 million for national oil seed enhancement program as the government had allocated Rs400 million in its PSDP 2019-20. An amount of Rs 200 million had also released for pilot project for development of shrimp farming cluster 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.