Balochistan to bring tangible change in agri sector: CM

File Photo: Dr Abdul Malik Baloch

QUETTA  - Chief Minister Balochistan Dr Abdul Malik Baloch has said that coalition government was committed to bring a tangible change in agri-sector as it was the main stay of economy of the province.
"Government would utilise all funds transparently for the development of all sectors in Balochistan, including that of agriculture and this time the government is accountable to the people but it should not be blamed for the mistakes committed by previous governments," he expressed these views while addressing a seminar organised by Balochistan Zamindar Action Committee, here on Tuesday.

Chief Minister said the issues of farmers are genuine which are being given due focus as agri-sector could bring a huge change in the province once it was put on right direction. "In order to address the load-shedding I personally monitoring the work on Dadu-Khuzdar and DI-Loralai Transmission Lines," he added. He said that a project of 300MW solar energy had been chalked out with Korean company which would be installed in Kuchlak area that would help minimise load-shedding. "Government would also help convert tube-wells to solar energy," Chief Minister added.

He said that Rs 5 billion had been allocated for purchase of bulldozers, adding that government would also help farmers to install date and other fruits packing systems in the province.

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Power subsidy for Baloch farmers

File Photo: PM Ashraf distributes relief goods among flood victims in Balochistan

Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on Friday decided to give subsidy on the electricity supplied to farmers in Balochistan.

It was decided that the owners of the agricultural tubewells will pay a fix cost of Rs 6,000 per month while 60 per cent of the balance bill will be picked up by the provincial government and 40 per cent by the Federal government.

The Prime Minister directed the Ministry of Finance to issue a notification to the effect after completion of all necessary formalities.

He said that Balochistan is one of the top most priorities of his government and if the Federal government had the fiscal space, it would not have hesitated to provide more relief to the farmers of Balochistan. Raja Pervaiz said that he was aware that due to lowering of water table, the tubewells in Balochistan had to be bored as deep as 1,000 feet to pump water.

“Therefore, it becomes difficult for farmers to bear the cost of their installation, and the government ,therefore, would provide subsidy to the farmers by way of picking up a substantial portion of their electricity bills so that they can operate their tubewells,” he stated.

The Prime Minister said the long term solution to the problems of electricity bills for farmers in Balochistan is in use of tubewells run on solar energy. Raja urged the farmers of Balochistan to come forward and replace the existing tubewells with solar energy tubewells so that the issue can be resolved permanently.

The Prime Minister directed the Provincial Government to nominate its representative and asked the Zamindar Action Committee to nominate two persons who should meet the authorities in Planning Commission and finalise a criteria for installation of tubewells as well as the share of Federal and Provincial Governments in their installation cost.

He said the real test would be “how quick and how many solar tubewells” were installed.
The Prime Minister expressed the hope that farmers in Balochistan would work hard for the prosperity of Balochistan and progress of Pakistan.

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Balochistan records 23% agricultural growth ‘due to water management’

File Photo: Balochistan Agriculture College

Balochistan recorded a 23% agricultural growth last year due to the water management training workshops conducted by the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF).

UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Iqrar Ahmad said this while addressing the 30 Baloch participants of a 10-day training workshop on On-farm Water Management at the New Senate Hall here on Monday.

The UAF has conducted two similar programmes for the agriculture officers of Balochistan in the last two years.

Dr Iqrar said Balochistan would could grow food not only for Pakistan but also for the entire population of Central Asia in the years to come.

He said four agro ecological zones had been set up and conducive environment was enabling farmers in Balochistan to make more investment in fruits and vegetables. He said the UAF had launched a water resources engineering programme to address the problems being faced in Balochistan.

He stressed the need for overhauling the farming system, saying that there had been a drastic climatic change in the recent past.

He said the UAF was making efforts to promote oilseed cultivation as it was the second biggest import into the country after petroleum. “If we cultivate oilseed on only 1 million acres, we can make the country self-sufficient in this sphere,” he said.

He warned that in the coming years, the country would suffer a drastic shortfall of water that would hamper agricultural growth. He said water meant for irrigation and domestic use should be utilised prudently.

FAO-USAID Water Resource Management National Expert Ijaz Hussain Awan said: “We have made groups to collectively address the water issues by prioritising, identifying and addressing the problems being faced in Pakistan.” He said that cultivation in Balochistan was the toughest job as there was very little canal water.

Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology Dean and Water Management Research Centre (WMRC) Director Prof Rai Niaz Ahmad said a team of young professionals had earned global recognition through the workshops conducted by the UAF.

He said the WMRC was working on four projects with Australia, Japan, USAID and Rice Wheat International Consortium.

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