PARC commercializes nine technologies to promote use of agri
machinery
ISLAMABAD, Mar 6 (APP): Pakistan Agricultural Research Council
(PARC) has commercialized nine technologies to increase use of
agricultural machinery and achieve production targets.
Around 13 technologies are under process of commercialization,
sources at National Food Security and Research Division said on
Monday.
Highlighting the steps taken by the government to protect crops
from harsh weather conditions in the country and to mitigate loss, the officail sources said, adding that researchers
are focusing to develop crop varieties which can tolerate
harsh climates.
For this purpose, candidate varieties are tested at different
locations under National Uniform Yield Trail (NUYT) to see their
abilities to withstand in different environmental conditions in the
country.
The other step is that the government has reduced Sales Tax
from 17 % to 7 % on supply of imported machinery and equipments,
whereas Custom Duty on import of agricultural machinery and
equipments was also reduced from 5% to 2% to promote use of
machinery in agricultural sector in the country.
The sources said the government was launching a scheme
to install 30,000 units of solar pumps for irrigation purpose and
added to bring more barren land under cultivation, PARC has approved
Agriculture Research Institute at Jaffarabad in Balochistan.
Moreover, the government is also proving cash subsidy only
on fertilizers.
Minister for Finance in Budget Speech 2016-17 announced
fertilizer cash subsidy of Rs. 300 per bag on Di-Ammonium Phosphate
(DAP) and Rs. 156 per bag on Urea fertilizer.
The total subsidy of Rs. 27.96 billion was allocated for
entire subsidy scheme including Rs. 17.16 billion for Urea and Rs.
10.80 billion for DAP fertilizer on basis of equal sharing of
Federal and Provincial Governments.