Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah presiding over a joint meeting of agriculture and Irrigation departments has decided to facilitate small and medium-level farmers and landholders by providing through the Agriculture Department agricultural equipment, machinery, tubewells, solar systems, and smart irrigation systems at subsidised rates. The meeting was held at the CM House and was attended by Minister P&D Nasir Shah, Minister Irrigation Jam Khan Shoro, Minister Agriculture Sardar Mohammad Bux Mahar, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, PSCM Agha Wasif, SMBR Baqaullah Unar, Secretary Agriculture Rafiq Buriro, Secretary Finance Fayaz Jatoi, and other concerned officers. The CM said that he wanted to facilitate small and medium-level farmers and landholders by providing agricultural equipment, machinery, tubewells, solar systems, and smart irrigation systems at subsidised rates. “Farmers will pay only a small share of the total cost of the facilities so that they could own them, utilise them for their benefit and ultimately contribute to strengthening agro-economy,” he said. Minister Agriculture Mohammad Bux Mahar briefed the CM about the measures taken to boost the agriculture sector. He said that the provision of agriculture equipment and solar systems for tube wells to the growers would support agricultural productivity. The CM directed the Secretary Agriculture Rafiq Buriro to submit to him a detailed proposal of the growers that may be targeted under the provision of equipment. “We have to work out its financial implications so that necessary funds can be arranged apart from the allocations made in the current budget,” he said. The CM said that during the current Kharif season, the rising temperature could impact agricultural output, therefore he emphasised the need to guide growers while presiding over a joint meeting of the Agriculture and Irrigation departments. Shah said that climate change, floods, heavy rains and the rising temperature have affected agriculture right from its sowing season to harvesting. “I want you to study the current Kharif season temperature, and its positive/negative impact on the crops so that growers can be guided accordingly,” he said. Quoting the figures of 2020 temperature during the kharif season in Sindh, the CM said that it was recorded at average at 36.5 centigrade and 27.1 centigrade maximum and minimum respectively. He added that the average maximum temperature decreased from 2020 to 2019 which was 39.63 while overall figures showed an increasing trend in temperature in Sindh. “I want a similar exercise to be conducted by the agriculture department because the temperature during the ongoing kharif season has increased considerably which may affect the crops,” he said. Murad Ali Shah said that due to the blockade of old waterways, the lands in the LBOD system had degraded. “Now, we have restored the old waterways in Shaheed Benazirabad, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, and Badin, therefore the lands in those areas will be upgraded,” he maintained. The CM directed the Irrigation Department to provide water to the growers so that they could grow their crops properly. Minister Irrigation told the CM that water was being provided to the perennial canals and some non-perennial canals for drinking purposes.