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Business Recorder
28-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Rs1.2bn allocation made to revive citrus industry
LAHORE: The Punjab government has allocated a huge sum of Rs1.2 billion for citrus revival initiative in the province to provide technical guidance to growers and to introduce improved citrus varieties. Pakistan's annual citrus exports have dropped from $200 million to $130 million and urgent efforts are needed to provide technical guidance to growers and to introduce new, improved citrus varieties, said Deputy Convener Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha while speaking at the second meeting of the Chief Minister's Citrus Development Task Force. He proposed support for nursery businesses and the establishment of a development board focused on orchard revival in Sargodha. He also stressed the need for the swift completion of a modern citrus laboratory and the creation of a monitoring unit for orchard evaluation. The meeting was held at Agriculture House, Lahore. It was chaired by Punjab Minister for Agriculture and Livestock, Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani. During the meeting, various proposals for the development of the citrus sector were reviewed. Attendees included Deputy Convener of the Citrus Development Task Force Punjab, Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha, Secretary Agriculture Punjab, Iftikhar Ali Sahoo, and Secretary Industries, Commerce, and Investment Punjab, Umar Masood. Kirmani emphasized that boosting citrus production is a key priority for the government of Punjab. He noted that kinnow, in particular, is a signature fruit of the province. However, climate change has led to the deterioration of citrus orchards, making them more susceptible to diseases. This has resulted in a decline in fruit size and shelf life, particularly in kinnow. Several practical initiatives were agreed upon during the meeting, including the establishment of a Citrus Park, integration of citrus orchards into the Kissan Card platform, recruitment of 100 agricultural interns and 100 youth for a three-year citrus revival project, and the provision of subsidies similar to those offered in the wheat support programme. Minister Kirmani also underscored the need to regulate fruit nurseries through licensing and registration. He instructed the Bank of Punjab to introduce a loan scheme for farmers operating citrus nurseries. He stressed the importance of enhancing citrus exports and improving the value chain to meet international standards. Under the Chief Minister's Kissan Package, Rs1.2 billion has been allocated for the citrus revival initiative. This funding aims to establish certified nurseries, create new orchards, and boost both citrus production and exports to strengthen the national economy. The minister further stated that the primary goal of the citrus revival programme is to utilize modern agricultural technology to produce certified citrus plants and provide technical support to farmers. The overarching objective is to improve both the yield and quality of citrus through certified plant material. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
20-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Punjab Agri Dept, Margalla Heavy Industries Taxila sign MoU
LAHORE: A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed Monday between the Agriculture Department Punjab and Margalla Heavy Industries Limited, Taxila, to carry out the repair and maintenance of 20 bulldozers from the field wing of the agriculture department Punjab by the heavy industries. The MoU was signed in the presence of Minister for Agriculture Punjab Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani and Secretary Agriculture Punjab Iftikhar Ali Sahoo at a ceremony at the Agriculture House, Lahore. The MoU was formally signed by Director General Field (Agriculture), Sajid Naseer, and Chief Executive Officer of Heavy Industries Taxila, Brigadier Nadeem Ahmed. Brigadier Jawad (r) from Heavy Industries Taxila, Special Secretary Agriculture Agha Nabeel Akhtar, Additional Secretary Agriculture (Planning) Captain Waqas Rasheed, and Additional Director General (Engineering) Multan, Afzal Tahir were also present on this occasion. Following the signing ceremony, Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Punjab, Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani, chaired a review meeting on the Chief Minister's Wheat Support Programme and Kisan Card Phase II. Speaking at the meeting, the Minister stated that under these programmes, disbursement of funds to farmers through the Bank of Punjab will commence on May 22. He was informed that 487,000 farmers have already repaid their loans under the first phase of the Kisan Card scheme. He emphasized that to benefit from all agricultural initiatives of the government, possession of a Kisan Card must be made mandatory. He further noted that the scope of Kisan Card Phase II has been expanded, increasing the loan limit to Rs300,000, eliminating transaction charges, and introducing a facility for diesel purchase. In addition to Kisan Card holders, other farmers are also applying for the wheat support program via the dedicated portal, with 250,000 applications already received. The deadline to apply for this program is May 31. Through the same portal, an additional 100,000 farmers can register for new Kisan Cards. A total of Rs10 billion will be distributed among 500,000 farmers under the wheat support programme. The Bank of Punjab has approved over 542,000 farmer applications for Kisan Card Phase II, and the Punjab Land Records Authority (PLRA) has completed verification for nearly 500,000 of them. Iftikhar Ali Sahoo stressed the need to intensify the awareness campaign across social media, electronic media, and print media to ensure that more farmers can benefit from the government's loans and incentives. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
