Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal has emphasized that providing short-term, medium- and long-term relief to farmers is the government’s foremost priority.
He was addressing the first meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Agriculture and Climate/ Flood Emergencies held in Islamabad today.
Addressing the meeting, Ahsan Iqbal said that the provincial governments, in partnership with the federal government, must take swift steps to ensure that affected farmers are compensated and supported for the upcoming Rabi season.
The Minister particularly underlined the urgency of supplying canola seeds to farmers within the next fifteen days, taking advantage of the soil moisture left behind by the floods.
Ahsan Iqbal directed to establish three dedicated task forces, in consultation with concerned Federal Ministries and Provincial Governments. He said these task forces will prepare detailed reports within fifteen days. The reports will focus on immediate agricultural relief and provision of seeds, climate change impacts and resilience strategies, and strengthening infrastructure to make it climate-resilient.
He emphasized on building a long-term policy framework to ensure food security, resilience, and sustainable growth in country’s economic agriculture sector.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Climate Change Musaddiq Malik, Minister for Power Awais Leghari, Minister for Housing and Works Mian Riaz Hussain; and provincial agriculture and finance ministers.
