ISLAMABAD, Jul 17 : Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday directed the relevant authorities to present a policy framework for the provision of easy loans to the farmers for medium and small scale agriculture activities.
Priority should be given to providing modern agricultural facilities to farmers owning less than 12 acres of land, the prime minister said while chairing a review meeting on planning for agricultural development and agri-financing.
The prime minister directed to prepare and present a comprehensive plan by the end of this month for providing farmers with easy loans and introducing a system in the agri-financing sector aligned with modern requirements.
He said development of Pakistan was linked to the development of agriculture sector and value addition of the agri-products.
He stressed that a framework should be presented to provide farmers with easy loans for modern agricultural equipment, artificial intelligence, and quality seeds.
Comprehensive planning should also be carried out for small-scale industrial machinery access, aimed at processing farmers’ produce into exportable goods, the prime minister stressed.
He pointed out that the government was accelerating reforms’ process to provide farmers with modern agricultural equipment, quality seeds, artificial intelligence, better water use, on-farm small industries, and other facilities.
Steps are also being included in the reforms for providing farmers with necessary facilities and training for increasing exports through processing of agricultural produce, he added.
On the occasion, a detailed briefing was given on ongoing agricultural reforms, the performance of the Agricultural Development Bank Limited, and the loans being provided to farmers.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Ministers Ahad Khan Cheema and Rana Tanveer Hussain, Advisor to the Prime Minister Muhammad Ali, Ministers of State Bilal Azhar Kiani and Abdul Rehman Kanju, Special Assistant Haroon Akhtar, Governor State Bank Jameel Ahmed, Chief Coordinator Musharraf Zaidi, and other senior officials attended the meeting.
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