LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif disclosed on Friday that Rs 100 billion would be utilised on the development of agriculture sector and welfare of farming community during next two years. He said out of this amount, Rs 50 billion would be spent in the coming financial year whereas Rs 50 billion would be utilised in the next fiscal year, adding that the purpose of this historic agri package is to uplift the agri sector and facilitate the farming community. He said that farmers would fully benefit from the splendid agri package, as the prices of fertilisers, power tariff of agri tube well and agri impediments would be reduced. While talking to assembly members belonging to various districts of Punjab, the chief minister said that the federal and provincial governments have given a glorious package for the prosperity of farmers and its implementation would change the destiny of farmers in the province. He said that Punjab government would give interest free loans to small farmers that possess up to 12.5 acre of land, adding that the government would pay markup on these loans and no burden would be put on cultivators. Shahbaz said that a sum of $5 billion has been allocated for cotton research, as production of quality cottonseed is need of the hour to increase agri production. He said that a comprehensive strategy was also being adopted for provision of quality seed to cultivators, adding that the target of the government was to increase per acre yield and prosperity of small farmers. He said that the agri package would also make up the losses caused by recession at the international level. “Development of agriculture, livestock and dairy farming is essential for elimination of poverty and unemployment form the country. Besides research and development, transfer of the results of agri research to farmers is of vital importance,” Shahbaz added. The assembly members, while paying tributes to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif for giving a historic agri package for the welfare of cultivators and development of agri culture sector, said that that the PML-N leadership has won be hearts of farmers. Those who met the chief minister included Munawar Ahmad Gul, Sajjad Haider Gujar, Malik Ahmad Saeed Khan, Syed Muhammad Mehfooz Mashhadi, Lt Col (r) Sardar Ayub Khan, Raja Abdul Hanif, Chaudhry Zahid Akram, Naeemullah Gul, Qaider Iqbal Sandhu, Amanatullah Khan Shadikhel and Ch Muhammad Ashraf.