LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has presided over the first meeting of joint steering committee set up under World Bank and Punjab government to review the planned roadmap for development of agriculture sector and enduring prosperity of rural areas.
Many recommendations regarding improvement of agriculture sector were accorded formal approval in the meeting, besides this World Bank and Punjab government concurred to join hands to speed up the programme of agriculture and rural development. While addressing on the occasion, Chief Minister Shehbaz said that these initiatives were the need of the hour and technical assistance of World Bank for boasting yields, bringing stability in economics and guidelines for best usage of water resources was highly welcomed.
He hoped that this project would be helpful to equip agriculture sector with latest trends which would bring reforms in wheat purchasing and save us from the loss we bear yearly. He said that smart market reforms and amalgamated services for cultivators at their door steps would produce positive results in agriculture sector also the training of females and youth would help promoting agro business.
Food safety system would be enhanced with smart programme and it will also help to endorse agriculture research and development plans, he added.
The CM said that international and local seed companies’ cooperation would be expanded in order to escalate involvement of private sector in agriculture research and to provide cultivators with state-of-the-art seed technology. He said that latest barns would be set up to store wheat crops and World Bank would assist technically for promotion of agriculture and accurate usage of water resources.
He claimed that federal and Punjab governments have initiated billion of rupees projects for progress of agriculture and welfare of small cultivators.
He said that reformation of agriculture setup at latest trends was the dire need of hour and aid of World Bank who was a strong partner of government was highly regarded. He added that roads from farms to markets were highly needed, and Khadim-e-Punjab Rural Roads Programme has entered into its 4th phase under which thousand kilometers roads were renovated and constructed which would hopefully boast up our economy and facilitate our farmers for easy transport of their goods.
