Sustainable growth of the agriculture sector is vital to ensure food security and rural development in the country. It is a major contributor to employment and foreign exchange earnings. Additionally, it also provides industrial raw materials, hence growth in this sector, obviously, has multiple linkages with the overall economy. It contributes 22.7 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employs around 37.4 per cent of the country’s labour force, manager of rural landscape and environmental shield in protecting and upgrading the climate resilient production and ecosystem. The improvement in the agricultural production systems will certainly and surely go a long way in increasing farm income, reducing consumer prices and enhancing diverse food supplies besides generating an exportable surplus. During the post-COVID-19 period, the steep rise in the price of various commodities has obviously further enhanced the importance of this sector, especially for the countries that are net importers of food items. The recent unprecedented flash floods caused by historic heaviest rains had not only massively damaged and destroyed roads, infrastructure, and bridges and affected more than 33 million people, but also completely washed away standing crops on over 40 lakhs acres in different parts of the country. In view of this massive devastation and upon realising the fact that the country’s progress, development and prosperity were directly proportionally linked to the agricultural sector of Pakistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced a massive package of incentives and initiatives amounting to as much as Rs 1800 billion during the ongoing financial year, which was quite appreciably four times more than the farming community was getting during the preceding year. The prosperity of farmers means progress and development in Pakistan, which is the dire need of the hour. Highlighting the salient features of the much-needed package for the farmers, the prime minister said that the commercial banks avoided giving loans to small farmers and entrepreneurs and instead looked for safe investments. Therefore, the markup on the loans by the farmers belonging to the flood-affected areas had been waived, and the centre and the provinces will also be providing more than Rs 8 billion to the small farmers in the flood-hit areas, Furthermore, the government will also provide loans worth Rs 50 billion to the youngsters living in the rural areas on a mark up less than the market rate and Rs 6.5 billion have been earmarked for this purpose, following tough negotiations between the federal government and the fertiliser plants price of DAP per bag has been slashed down by more than 2500 and it will now be available at Rs 11250 instead of Rs 14000. Additionally, it is also worth appreciating that the centre, in collaboration with the provinces, will be providing as many as 1.2 million bags of certified wheat seeds to the farmers in the flood-ravaged areas free of cost and an amount of Rs 13.20 stands allocated for this purpose. The federal government is also importing 500000 tonnes of urea out of which 200000 tonnes have already arrived in the country. To strengthen the important agriculture sector of the country, a subsidy amounting to a hefty Rs 30 billion will be provided on urea so that the small farmers can get the fertiliser as per their requirements at comparatively cheaper rates. To facilitate the farmers who cannot afford rather heavy prices of locally manufactured tractors, the government has also decided to import five years old second-hand tractors. There is a lot more in the farmers’ package announced by the prime minister in pursuance of the demands being made by the farming community from time to time. These incentives include the provision of electricity at a fixed rate of Rs 13 per unit; the provision of gas at a cheaper rate to the fertiliser factories; interest-free loans for transferring three lakh tube-wells to solar energy and duty on tractor parts reduced to 15 per cent. Interest loans of Rs 5 billion to landless Haris also figure prominently in the kissan package of Rs 1800 billion agricultural loans. These provision facilities and incentives have ensured that the farmers in the flood-affected areas of the country are targeted for their early rehabilitation and normalisation of agricultural production activities as earliest as possible. The farmers’ prosperity means progress and development in Pakistan, which is the dire need of the hour. The prime minister has announced a package of initiatives and incentives for the farming community; fully appreciating the bitter fact that farmers in flood and rain-hit areas of the country have been very badly hit financially. If they are not assisted and at the earliest, they may not be able to cultivate fresh crops, which may cause food insecurity in the country in the coming months. If the massive kissan package so announced is implemented in letter and spirit sincerely, dedicatedly and determinedly by all those concerned down the line and the facilities availed by the farmers, mainly in the flood-hit areas, one can easily say that this package would prove to be the best possible. It is also worth mentioning here that the farming community representatives have welcomed and appreciated the packages of incentives and initiatives announced by the prime minister; saying that all their demands have been fully met. Farmers from over the country had quite recently staged a sit-in in Islamabad in support of their demands. Their demands and grievances were conveyed by the federal ministers concerned to the prime minister, who had assured them all their demands would be given due consideration sympathetically. The package for the farming community augurs well for strengthening and boosting the important agriculture sector of the country. The federal government has done its duty in this regard. Now, it is for all those down the line to ensure proper implementation and for the farmers to fully avail the facilities and incentives! The writer is a Lahore-based freelance journalist, columnist and retired Deputy Controller (News), Radio Pakistan, Islamabad and can be reached at zahidriffat @gmail.com