Daily Times

The government has allocated Rs 8.850 billion for the Ministry of National Food Security and Research in Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2023-24 for different projects relating to agriculture and livestock sectors’ development in the country. Under PSDP 2023-24, an amount of Rs. 8.599 billion would be spent on the completion of 21 ongoing developmental projects, whereas Rs. 250 billion was allocated for three new schemes during the current financial year to achieve sustainable agriculture growth. The government has allocated Rs. 2,800 million for a national programme for the improvement of watercourses phase-II, and Rs. 900 million for the national programme for enhancing the commend area in Barani areas of Pakistan and Rs. 700 million for the promotion of olive cultivation on a commercial scale. Meanwhile, Rs. 500 million was earmarked for locust emergency and food security, Rs. 400 million for water conservation in the Barani areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Rs. 300 million for promoting research for productivity enhancement in pulses and Rs. 248 million was allocated for production enhancement of wheat. In PSDP 2023-24, the government has suggested to spent Rs. 147 million for better cotton initiative, Rs. 100 million for cage culture cluster development and Rs. 240 million for the establishment of consumer sourcing seed authenticity system and strengthening of labs of FSC&RD. An amount of Rs. 500 million was also allocated for the national oil seed enhancement programme, Rs. 130 million for the productivity enhancement of sugarcane and Rs. 235 million for the productivity enhancement of rice while Rs. 440 for pilot shrimp farming cluster development. Besides, the government has proposed allocating Rs. 100 million for Pakistan-Korea joint program on certified seed potato production system, Rs. 100 million for professional capacity building in agriculture national reforms and Rs. 50 million for horticulture support programme.