PTI govt wants to double farmers’ income: Imran Khan

BAHAWALPUR, Aug 11,2021 – Prime Minister Imran Khan said the present government was following a vision to double their income to achieve higher economic growth, ensure food security and check poverty and inflation.

Addressing Kissan Convention, on Wednesday he said, “We have a vision to double the income of farmers. They will invest their income in agriculture, which will benefit Pakistan and help reduce poverty, decrease prices of food items and check price-hike.”

The prime minister mentioned with pride that owing to the government’s policy enhancing support prices of various agricultural crops including wheat, sugarcane and maize, the growers secured Rs1,100 billions of additional income during the previous fiscal years.

He further said with initial two years spent on economic stabilization due to various inherited challenges on the economic front, his government had finally put the country on the path of economic recovery and achieved around 4% GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth during the fiscal year 2020-21.

The prime minister also launched the provincial government’s Kissan Card scheme during the convention, which was also addressed by Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for National Food Security Jamshed Iqbal Cheema.

Prime Minister Imran Khan said that as farmers were the country’s precious asset, today’s Kissan Convention would send a clear message that the country would move forward by helping the farmers.

He said that with a mere 26,000 growers having the agricultural lands of over 125 acres each, the country had around 8.4 million of hardworking small farmers, who were the core of this country as well as the agriculture sector.

He said that due to the record production of wheat, sugar, rice and maize this year, the growers earned Rs 1100 billions of extra income.

The prime minister said that the unprecedented higher sales of motorcycle in the rural areas also depicted increase in the income of farmers.

He, however, added that growth in the country’s agricultural produce did not match with population growth which went up from 40 million (West Pakistan) in 1947 to 225 million at present.

He said that despite a bumper wheat crop, the country had to import 4 million tons of wheat to cater to the needs of people.

The prime minister stressed on the need of enhanced research and development in agriculture to achieve higher production of various crops.

He assured that the federal as well as the provincial government would extend every possible help to the farmers to bring about prosperity in the country and for the well-being of people in rural areas.

The prime minister also presented shields to Vice Chancellor Islamia University Bahawalpur (IUB) Dr. Prof. Athar Mehmoob, Dr. Prof Iqbal and Dr. Ali for their services in the field of agricultural research and development.

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