KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister (CM), Syed Murad Ali Shah, chairing a joint meeting of Agriculture and Irrigation Ministries, has decided to facilitate small and medium farmers and land owners by providing farm equipment, machinery, pipes, solar systems through the Agriculture Ministry. and smart irrigation systems at subsidized rates.
The meeting was held at CM House and was attended by P&D Minister Nasir Shah, Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro, Agriculture Minister Sardar Mohammad Bux Mahar, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, PSCM Agha Wasif, SMBR Baqaullah Unar, Agriculture Secretary Rafiq Buriro, Finance Secretary Fayaz Jatoi and other concerned officers.
The CM said he wants to facilitate small and medium farmers and land owners by providing farm equipment, machinery, tubes, solar systems and smart irrigation systems at subsidized rates. “Farmers pay only a small fraction of the total cost of the equipment to own it, use it to their advantage and ultimately contribute to the strengthening of the agri-economy,” he said.
Agriculture Minister Mohammad Bux Mahar informed the CM about the measures taken to support the agriculture sector. He said providing agricultural equipment and solar tube well systems to growers will boost agricultural productivity.
The CM directed Agriculture Secretary Rafiq Burir to submit to him a detailed proposal of growers who can be targeted for providing facilities. “We need to work out its financial implications so that the necessary funds can be secured in addition to the allocations made in the current budget,” he said.
The CM said that during the current Kharif season, the rising temperature could affect the agricultural production and therefore stressed the need to guide the growers while presiding over a joint meeting of the Agriculture and Irrigation Departments.
Shah said climate change, floods, heavy rains and rising temperature have affected agriculture from sowing to harvest. “I want you to study the current temperature in the Kharif season and its positive/negative impact on the crops so that the growers can be guided accordingly,” he said.
Citing the 2020 temperature data during the kharif season in Sindh, the CM said it was recorded at an average of 36.5 degrees Celsius and 27.1 degrees at the maximum and minimum. He added that the average maximum temperature decreased from 2020 to 2019 which was 39.63 while the overall data showed an increasing trend of temperature in Sindh.
“I want a similar exercise to be carried out by the agriculture department as the temperature has increased considerably during the ongoing kharif season which may affect the crop,” he said.
Murad Ali Shah said that due to the blockage of the old waterways, there has been degradation of land in the LBOD system. “We have now restored the old waterways in Shaheed Benazirabad, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas and Badin and therefore the land in these areas will be upgraded,” he continued.
The CM directed the irrigation department to provide water to the growers to grow their crops properly. Irrigation informed the CM that water was provided to perennial canals and some non-permanent canals for drinking purpose.
