The first meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Agriculture and Climate/Flood Emergency was the hero under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special steps, Ehsan Iqbal.
The Prime Minister, with Ehsan Iqbal, has been opened with the direction of setting up a three -dedicated task force in consultation with the concerned federal ministries and provincial governments.
These task forces have been entrusted to prepare detailed reports within 15 days:
- Prompt agricultural aid and seeds supply,
- The effects of climate change effects and flexibility strategies,
- Strengthen the infrastructure to make the climate flexible.
These reports will be submitted to the Prime Minister for final consideration.
Addressing the meeting, Ahsan Iqbal emphasized that providing short, medium and long -term assistance to the farmers is the government’s top priority. He called for speedy action by provincial governments in partnership with the federal government, to ensure that the affected farmers have compensation and support for the next Rabi season.
The minister highlighted the hurry of supply of canola seeds to the farmers in the next 15 days, taking advantage of the soil moisture through the recent floods. He arranged through corporate sponsorship, for example, for example, referring to 5000 -ccrere canola seed pilot project in Narowal.
Iqbal added that it is time to look beyond traditional crops and it is time to focus on diversifying on high -cost crops like Canola, which offers more profits and more demand for market. He also pointed out the importance of expanding interest -free loan schemes for farmers and repeatedly emphasized the need to move forward to a private insurance mechanism to protect them from climate shock.
“Climate change is no longer a time trend. Floods, flows and other climate shocks are becoming a permanent feature of our environment. We, there, should create a long -term policy framework to ensure food safety, flexibility and sustainable growth in our agriculture.
Member Infrastructure Waqas Anwar, while writing a letter to the committee on his purpose, highlighted that it was established in partnership with the provincial governments, an agricultural support package to provide immediate relief to the recent flood -affected farmers.
He further explained that the committee would also design a medium -term package to ensure fair profit to the farmers, fully reviewing the impact of climate change on Pakistan’s production sectors, especially agricultural, livestock, agricultural industries, and exports, and promoting the impact of the government.
The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Climate Change Masadiq Malik, Federal Minister for Power Aviation Lenali, Federal Minister for Housing and Works, Mian Riaz Hussain, Provincial Agriculture and Finance Minister, and Planning Commission, Climate Change Division, Water Management, and other senior officials of the department.