Sindh Govt To Launch Program For Enhancing Climate Resilience, Agri-produce
Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published December 04, 2024 | 08:11 PM
In a bid to promote climate smart agricultural practices, Sindh government is all set to start a multi-faceted program for imparting awareness and training about climate change and resilience strategies to the farmers
KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th Dec, 2024) In a bid to promote climate smart agricultural practices, Sindh government is all set to start a multi-faceted program for imparting awareness and training about climate change and resilience strategies to the farmers.
The initiatives also include construction of new watercourses, introducing smart subsidies, solar lift pumping and laser land leveling as well as digitizing crop reporting and agricultural marketing.
The decisions were taken in a meeting held here on Wednesday, to review Sindh Water and Agricultural Transformation (Swat) Project with Sindh Minister for Agriculture, Sardar Muhammad Bux Mahar in chair, said a statement issued here.
The minister stated that 100,000 acres will be covered under smart subsidies, and 14,575 male and female farmers will receive training and awareness to tackle climate change. The training will focus on efficient water usage, urea fertilizer application, improving agricultural productivity, and optimal seed usage.
The agriculture minister also announced that subsidies will be provided for pulses, vegetables, oilseeds, and orchards on 1000 acres, while drip irrigation systems will be installed on an additional 900 acres in Sindh. The Sindh government is also extending financial assistance to farmers for purchasing modern agricultural equipment, seeds, and fertilizers, which will help increase agricultural productivity.
The minister emphasized the need to protect crops from climate change-induced damages, stating that droughts, water scarcity, floods, and other climate-related events have significantly impacted agriculture. He stressed the importance of adopting climate-smart agriculture to counter these challenges. The Sindh government has already distributed Rs19 billion in subsidies to farmers affected by recent floods and rains.
Sardar Muhammad Bux Mahar highlighted the importance of enhancing water storage capacity, adopting modern irrigation techniques, preventing water wastage, and promoting climate-resilient crops. He called for effective use of water through technologies like drip irrigation and solar pumping.
The Secretary Agriculture briefed that the programs will be launched in nine districts of Sindh, including Ghotki, Sukkur, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Badin, Tando Muhammad Khan, and Hyderabad. Under the Water Saving and Productivity Enhancement Project, 185 new watercourses will be constructed, and the lining of 500 watercourses will be completed soon, he added.
Project Director Dr. Liaquat Ali Bhutto informed that the Sindh Water and Agricultural Transformation Project is expected to be completed by December 2028.
