The agriculture experts on Tuesday hailed the Rs1.8 trillion package unveiled by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif saying that it is poised to boost agriculture production besides providing free seeds to flood-hit farmers and scaling down prices of fertilisers in addition to subsidised electricity for agricultural tubewell across the country. In a press statement issued here on Tuesday Chairman of Pakistan Hitech Hybrid Seed Association (PHHSA), Shahzad Ali Malik said this historic agricultural package was the need of the hour in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict which badly disrupted the food and gas supplies adding miseries to the lives of millions of people of scores of countries around the globe especially South Asian. He said the recent devastating flood damaged sizeable standing crops besides killing millions of livestock and depriving farmers of their livelihood in addition to a record displacement of 33 million. He said the timely and prudent decision of the prime minister, which would not only increase agriculture production, but will also definitely help a lot to flood-affected people with their rehabilitation and cultivation of new crops on time to meet ever-increasing needs for food staples. He said the agriculture sector was the backbone of “our national economy, which has now been accorded top priority by the coalition government”. He said it was a good omen that interest-free production loans were being extended at the doorsteps of poor farmers, especially in flood-affected arable areas. Shahzad Ali Malik hoped that dynamic Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Khan will fully ensure immediate implementation of the PM package and make sure availability of fertilisers at reduced rates. He said a net benefit of Rs 58 billion has been given to growers on reduced prices of DAP fertiliser alone. He suggested that government should only distribute hi-tech hybrid seeds to farmers for excellent yield which will definitely increase the profitability that helps improve the lifestyles of peasants in the country. Meanwhile, The Prime Minister’s Kisan (farmers) package has been widely welcomed by all segments of the society including farmers, agriculturists, wheat and rice growers in Khyber Pakthunkhwa including merged tribal districts, and termed it historic. PML-N KP spokesman and Member National Assembly, Ikhtiar Wali Khan said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had won the hearts and minds of hundreds of thousands of farmers, agriculturists, wheat and rice growers by announcing a historic Kisan package. Talking to APP, he said under the landmark package, Rs1,800 billion in agriculture loans would be provided to farmers and agriculture growers besides Rs 30 billion in subsidies on urea fertilizers. Ikhtiar Wali said besides the reduction of the price of Rs 2500 per bag of the DAP urea and waiving of import duty on use tractors, he said that Rs 5 billion interest-free loans were announced for the landless peasants/farmers and provision of 1.2 million bags of wheat seeds for farmers of the flood affected areas, sparking widespread jubilation among farmers community of KP. He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was working day and night for the development and progress of the country and the resolution of the problems of farmers. On the other hand, he said former Prime Minister Imran Niazi was wasting his energies in the aimless long march to save face after his corrupt practices were exposed by the Election Commission of Pakistan in the Tosha Khana case. Ikhtiar Wali said PTI Chairman was now eying on KP after the people of Punjab had rejected his long march, adding Imran’s demand for early election was irrational and rejected by almost all political leaders of the country.