LAHORE: The Agricultural Committee headed by Punjab Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar has recommended raising the support price to Rs 5,000 per maund and providing direct subsidy to cotton farmers. Chairman CPEC Authority Asim Saleem Bajwa, Provincial Minister for Agriculture Syed Hasnain Jahanian Gardezi and others participated in the meeting of the committee held at Governor’s House.
According to details, a meeting chaired by Governor Punjab Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar at Governor’s House Lahore discussed the problems faced by cotton farmers and their solutions including providing relief to the farmers. Chairman CPEC Authority Asim Saleem Bajwa, Provincial Minister for Agriculture Syed Hasnain Jahanian Gardezi, Additional Secretary National Food Security and Research Rashid Mahmood and other officials of federal and provincial departments were also present in the meeting. Federal Minister for National Food and Research Syed Fakhr Imam joined the meeting via video link. The Agricultural Committee headed by Punjab Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar has recommended to the Federal Government to increase the support price of cotton to Rs 5,000 and to provide direct subsidy to the farmers in accordance with per acre.
Addressing the meeting, Governor Punjab Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar said that an effective policy and integrated strategy is needed to increase cotton production, he welcomed the decision of the federal government to not import cotton from India and added that to encourage cotton growers, subsidies will be given directly to farmers in a phases and at the same time the federal and provincial governments will ensure that strict action will be taken against those responsible for selling substandard medicines to cotton farmers. Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar said that in order to increase the production of cotton, all the stakeholders including those from the textile industry should be on one page for which the efforts have been initiated and all resources are being utilized to address the problems of our farmers.
Chairman CPEC Authority Asim Saleem Bajwa said that China is providing research and machinery assistance to increase cotton production and CPEC Authority is keen on facilitating farmers by providing assistance in various sectors. Cotton and textiles account for 8% of Pakistan’s economy and we must all work together to strengthen Pakistan’s economy, he added.
Federal Minister for National Food and Research Syed Fakhr Imam said that the previous governments have been constantly neglecting the cotton farmers but the present government under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan has stood by the cotton farmers and will continue to facilitate them. The Federal government will ensure the implementation of steps in accordance with the recommendations put forward by the committee, he added.
Afterwards, in a Press Conference with UK House of Lords member Wajid Khan, Governor Punjab Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar said, “I have taken the responsibility of resolving the issue of fee of students of Islamia University FATA. If Federal or Provincial governments will not give funds, I will request cooperation from philanthropists and will even pay from my own pocket.”
Responding to a question, Governor Punjab Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar said that the main challenge for the government is inflation and governance not PDM. In a question about dismissing Hafeez Sheikh, Governor Punjab said that the government always took decisions that are in the best interest of the nation.
Regarding travel bans on Pakistan due to Coronavirus, Governor Punjab Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar said that the Coronavirus situation is worse in India so travel ban on Pakistan doesn’t make any sense adding that the third wave of Coronavirus has come from the UK.
