Provincial Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani met by the Director General of Land Information Management System (LIMS) Major General Shahid Nazir at Agriculture House, Lahore.
On this occasion, Provincial Minister for Agriculture Ashiq Hussain Kirmani said that the Punjab Punjab Government and LIMS will work together under the mutual partnership agreement, which will make it possible to achieve agricultural prosperity according to the vision of Chief Minister, Punjab. He said that this is a funded program of the Punjab Government. The Punjab Government is providing 26,000 agricultural implements, 5,000 super seeders, 2,000 rice straw shredders and 9,500 tractors of 50 to 85 horsepower on subsidy for the promotion of agricultural mechanization. The resources of the Punjab Government and LIMS should be mutually shared. The Punjab Government is trying to give agricultural machinery to the farmers on subsidy which they do not already have and by using which it is possible not only to increase the agricultural production but also Environmental pollution can also be controlled.
On this occasion, Secretary Agriculture Iftikhar Ali Sahoo said that under a business formula, LIMS and Punjab Government will run this company on a profit-free basis. Provides loan facility for cars to import machinery from abroad, further financing is required from LIMs support. Iftikhar Ali Sahu further said that the location of these agricultural malls is very important. In the first phase, these centers will be established at the district level.
During meeting Major General Shahid Nazir said that an institution like LIMS under the management of the Federal Government and with cooperation of Pakistan Army has been established. It is primarily working to make uncultivated and barren areas to convert into cultivable and till now, 0.3 million acres of canal area of Punjab is being made arable.
He said that this organization will also provide agricultural machinery services on rental to small farmers in Punjab. In this regard, all the farmers is being registered to resolve their field emergent problems and to increase per acre production. Mr. Shahid Nazir added that 16 private companies related to the business of agriculture sector under the management of LIMS will provide all the facilities to the farmers. Seeds, fertilizers and pesticides, agricultural machinery and equipment on rental basis and all other items will be available to the farmers in the established agricultural malls covering a wide area. Shahid Nazir said that the main objective is to reduce the production cost of the farmers and to promote smart agriculture farming.
He added that we have purchased heavy duty tractors and drones. Training of farmers will also be arranged in agricultural malls and marketing platform to farmers. Special Secretary Agriculture Nabil Agha, Additional Secretary Agriculture (Planning) Punjab Captain (Rtd) Waqas Rasheed, Consultant Agriculture Department Dr. Anjum Ali and Director General Agriculture (Extension) Chaudhry Abdul Hameed were also present during the meeting.
