Provincial govts should ensure the provision of fixed price of cotton to the farmers: PM Shehbaz
LAHORE, Mar 13 (SABAH): Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has accorded in-principle approval to set the price of cotton at 8500 rupees per 40 kilogram for this year.
The approval was granted during a review meeting of the Agricultural Task Force that was held in Lahore on Monday with Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in the chair.
During the meeting, a detailed discussion was held on increasing the production of cotton and setting its support price.
The meeting was informed that last year there was a substantial reduction in cotton production due to floods, rains, shortage of canal water and fertilizer crisis. The total production of cotton this year is estimated at 12.77 million bales, while not only the area under cotton cultivation but also the yield per acre is expected to increase significantly. The per acre coast of cotton and its comparison with other crops was also presented to the meeting.
The Prime Minister directed to submit the support price of cotton to the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) for approval at the earliest. He said the provincial governments should ensure the provision of fixed price of cotton to the farmers. He also directed the federal government to provide all possible assistance to the provincial governments to implement the fixed support price.
The Prime Minister said the government is taking steps on priority basis to increase the per acre production of cotton. For this purpose, he directed the Ministry of National Food Security to speedily complete its work in formulating proposals to increase the per acre yield of cotton.
Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar, Minister for National Food Security and Research Chaudhry Tariq Bashir Cheema, Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi, Advisor to PM on Establishment Ahad Khan Cheema and other concerned high officials were present on the occasion.
Meanwhile Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says it is first time in history of country that a relief package has been prepared for provision of free flour to deserving people in Ramazan-ul-Mubarak.
Chairing a review meeting in Lahore on Monday for provision of free flour under Ramazan Package, he said free flour will be distributed to 15.8 million families of Punjab in Ramazan-ul-Mubarak.
He said that distribution of free flour will be made from 25th Shaban to 25th Ramazan.
He said that distribution of flour will be done through eighty-five hundred utility stores besides establishing twenty thousand points for convenience of the general public. He said eligibility for free flour can be checked through SMS.
He said that no compromise will be made on the quality of free flour and modern technology will be utilized for prevention of theft of flour.
Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi, Advisor to PM on Establishment Ahad Khan Cheema and other high officials were present on the occasion.