The government has allocated Rs10.129 billion for the completion of 29 ongoing and four yet-to-start agriculture uplift projects under its Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) for fiscal year 2022-23 for ensuring food safety and security in the country.
According to a budget document, the government has proposed to spend Rs9,079.954 million for the completion of 29 on-going developmental projects and Rs1,049.180 million for 04 new developmental schemes to put the agriculture sector on fact track development. Under PSDP 2022-23, the government has earmarked Rs1,000 million for the promotion of olive cultivation of commercial scale in Pakistan phase-II in order to promote oil seeds output to tackle with the domestic requirements as well as reducing the reliance on imported edible oil.
Meanwhile, the government has also proposed to spent of Rs2,000 million for the national program for the improvement of water courses in Pakistan Phase-II, which aiming at to conserve rapidly reducing water resources to bring more areas under crop production. In PSDP for fiscal year 2022-23, the government has also allocated Rs800 million for the national program for the enhancement of command area in barani areas in the country and Rs 130 million for better cotton initiatives.
Meanwhile, an amount of Rs 700 million allocated for national oil seed enhancement program in order to increase area under oil seeds cultivation for enhancing farm income of farmers, particularly small scale growers. The government in its annual development agenda has allocated an amount of Rs200 million allocated for save the calve program, Rs199.251 million for pilot shrimp farming cluster development and Rs50 million for backyard poultry farming.
In order to enhance output of all major crops including wheat, rice, sugarcane, maize and cotton, the government has allocated funds in its annual development program and earmarked an amount of Rs350 million for wheat productivity enhancement, Rs270 million for rice and Rs130 million for sugarcane output enhancement.
To overcome the locust challenge that had created serious threats for agriculture during last year, the government has allocated Rs800 million for locust emergency and food security projects and Rs200 million for quality seed production and supply to the farming community for enhancing food security in the country. In PSDP for fiscal year 2022-23, the government has earmarked Rs40 million for mainstreaming of Mountain Agriculture Research Center (MARS) for the promotion of high value agriculture in Gilgit-Baltistan.
