Punjab Government will protect farmers rights to keep them away from the middle man’s exploitation and will make all out efforts to ensure paddy rice procurement @ Rs. 1250/- per 40 kg through PASCO. This was stated by Chief Minister Punjab Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif while addressing the farmers’ representatives and UAF scientists here at new senate hall of UAF on Sunday morning. Mian Shehbaz Sharif maintained that decision of rice procurement was a federal subject but he will urge the Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani in the forthcoming meeting on November 4 at Islamabad along with Punjab and Federal ministers and secretaries of agriculture to extend his full cooperation for mitigating the farmers problems to procure rice at government support price of Rs. 1250/40 kg.

He earmarked Rs. 50 million for UAF and asked Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan to visit his office along with brilliant minds to put forward workable suggestions for solution of alarming problems of agriculture sector. He said that Pakistan was bestowed with ideal soil, water, climatic and vibrant human resources but economic position of its farmers remained vulnerable due to various management problems which need to be resolved through coordinated efforts of all stake holders. “We need to strengthen the agriculture and solve the farmers’ problems if we really want to make sustainable progress” he added. Mian Shehbaz Sharif informed the gathering that last year, his government had procured more than 90% wheat from the farmers and eliminated the role of middle man. He revealed that his government had provided ten thousand tractors to holders of 12 acre agricultural land through a transparent mechanism by extending Rs. 2 billion subsidy. He underlined the need for better post harvest management of expert oriented agricultural commodities as the host countries of such fruits and vegetables expressed their concerns and reluctant to import them due to low quality, grading and packing problems. Referring to the progress being made by Japan irrespective of the fact that all of its raw material used to be imported and only thing they do is effective use of technology to make this country 2nd largest economy of the world.

Earlier provincial agriculture minister Malik Ahmad Ali Aulakh said that Punjab Government under the dynamic leadership of Mian Shahbaz Sharif successfully made the outstanding payments of Rs. 49 billion rupees of the sugarcane farmers from the sugar mills. He asked the federal government to procure 10 million ton paddy rice from the farmers on support price of Rs. 1250 so as to get rid of middle man’s exploitation and ensure the farmers rights. He urged the government to export the rice amounting 5 billion $ and enable the country to remain sovereign in taking foreign aids.

Farmers’ representatives Nawab Farhat Ullah Khan and Ms Rabia Sultan asked the CM to play his significant role in bail outing the farmers from middle mans. They expressed their concerns and said that instead of timely announcement of the federal government of Rs. 1250/40 kg, the market rate of paddy rice is likely to be fluctuated at Rs. 750 to 800 so there is a dire need of CM intervention to protect the farmers’ rights.

UAF Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan wile presenting a welcome address told that his University so far has produced 44000 graduates and was on the way towards internationalization as in recent past it has inked various MOUs with various international organizations of advanced countries. He revealed that out of 3640 ISO journal publications of 128 universities of the country, UAF has published more than 350 publications and put substantial weight in this way. Dr. Khan informed the house that UAF is vigorously pursuing towards precision agriculture, water economy, bio technology, rural development and transgenic crops to equip its graduates with global research trends. Dr. Iqrar A Khan told the chief minister that UAF is a major partner of 5 countries consortium with 5 million Euros under a mega project of German government. He said that on the initiatives of Punjab Government UAF has extended its close liaison and cooperation with Iranian, Chinese and French universities and on the way of exploring the horizons of ever-new success.