Daily Times

The government has released an of amount of Rs3,097.50 million for various agriculture and livestock uplift projects under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) 2023-24 as against the total allocation of Rs8.850 billion.

The amount was released during the first 06 months of the current financial year (July-December) for the completion of different ongoing development schemes, besides initiating the new projects of vital importance, said an official in the Ministry of National Food Security and Research.

Talking to APP here on Monday, he said that out of the total released funds, an amount of Rs 429.97 million had spent so far on different development schemes during the period under review for achieving sustainable agriculture growth and economic development of the country.

The government has allocated Rs 8.850 billion for the Ministry of National Food Security and Research in its PSDP) 2023-24 for different projects relating to agriculture and livestock sectors’ development in the country, he added.

He said that under PSDP 2023-24, an amount of Rs8.599 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 Rs2,800 million for a national program for the improvement of watercourses phase-II, and Rs. 900 million for the national program for enhancing the commend area in Barani areas of Pakistan and Rs. 700 million for the promotion of olive cultivation on a commercial scale, he added.

Meanwhile, Rs500 million was earmarked for locust emergency and food security, Rs400 million for water conservation in the Barani areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Rs300 million for promoting research for productivity enhancement in pulses and Rs 248 million was allocated for the production enhancement of wheat during the current financial year.

In PSDP 2023-24, he said that the government has allocated Rs147 million for better cotton initiative, Rs100 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 Rs500 million was also allocated for the national oil seed enhancement program, Rs130 million for the productivity enhancement of sugarcane Rs235 million for the productivity enhancement of rice and Rs440 for pilot shrimp farming cluster development.

Besides, the government has also allocated Rs100 million for the Pakistan-Korea joint program on certified seed potato production system, Rs100 million for professional capacity building in agriculture national reforms and Rs. 50 million for the horticulture support programme.