PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government under agriculture transformation plan has planned to procure 10,000 to 12,000 metric tonnes wheat seed to be provided to farmers across the province.

A meeting was informed here on Wednesday that farmers were being facilitated through one window operation facility in model farm services centres whereas farmer tele facilitation centre (call centre) had been set up under tele-farming and e-agriculture system.

A statement said that Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, who chaired the meeting, directed the authorities concerned to ensure launching of Kisan card under digital subsidy mechanism within two months.

He said that agriculture transformation plan would prove a revolutionary step towards development of agriculture sector. He added that government was going to achieve the goals set under the plan in line with the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

CM orders officials to launch Kisan Card within two months

“Sustainable development of agriculture sector, facilitating farmers and food security are amongst the priority areas of government. All the available resources are being utilised for the purpose under a well-devised strategy,” said the chief minister.

The meeting was informed that for quality seed distribution among farmers, procurement of seed was in progress.

It was told that tele-farming and e-agriculture system were already operational whereas model farm services centres were established across the province.

Besides web portal, mobile application (agriculture extension), management information system (MIS) and agri-info (SMS) service are the important features of the system.

In order to improve post-harvest storage, provincial sales tax on services for warehouse operators is being reduced from 16 per cent to 1 per cent which would be added in finance bill.

The forum was informed that agriculture research institutes in Tarnab and Mingora would be upgraded and an Act to that was submitted for the review of law department.

Similarly, under “genetic improvement of cattle” a PC-1 is in progress to develop proposed digital extension service model. It was nformed that consent of provincial government for the projects pertaining to five-year agriculture transformation plan was solicited and the detailed PC-1 would also be submitted to quarters concerned for processing.

The chief minister expressed satisfaction over the progress made so far on agriculture transformation plan in the province.

He said that agriculture sector had key role in the national economy.

He said that government had special focus on the development of the sector. “Government is fully committed to playing its leading role in implementing the said plan and taking visible steps to this effect,” he added.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2021