Keeping in view the importance of the agriculture sector, which is already at the top of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives has geared up efforts to implement projects related to the agriculture sector.

In the current fiscal year, several projects worth billions were allocated to the agriculture sector under the Public Sector Development Program to tap the huge potential of the sector.

Pakistan has vast potential for foreign investment in the field of agriculture, as Pakistan is a semi-industrialized economy with a well-integrated agricultural sector that contributes 22.9% to the GDP and creates 37.4% of jobs, ensures food security and provides raw materials for industry.

While gearing up its efforts, the Planning Ministry has asked the relevant ministries to accelerate the implementation so that the projects can be completed on time, especially when the SIFC took the lead and agriculture is at the top of its priority list besides other key sectors.

The SIFC was established earlier this year to attract foreign and local investments while targeting five key areas, which include agriculture, defense production, mining/minerals, information technology and telecommunication and energy.

The Prime Minister’s Initiatives for Green Revolution 2.0 worth Rs5 billion is a landmark project initiated to address key constraints to productivity of agriculture. The government emphasized on promotion of technology to reduce post-harvest losses, value addition for grain, fruits and vegetables, productivity enhancement of major crops, engage women and youth in agriprenure, agri-business and to promote and support agricultural research.

Keeping in view the significance of fruits and vegetables, a “Horticulture Support Program” is another project being started worth Rs1 billion to address the key constraints to horticulture crops. This project has been designed to reduce on-field and post-harvest losses of selected fruits and vegetables and to integrate and strengthen horticultural value chains by demonstration of value-adding technologies at every step of the value chain through public-private partnerships.

Similarly, another project, “Prime Minister’s National Programe for Solarization of Agricultural Tubewells in Pakistan”, worth Rs377,017m is being started to convert 100,000 tube wells, including 50,000 diesel and electric each, to solar power through this scheme across Pakistan in three years.

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