1. Small Farmers Support Fund (Tax on Agriculture): There will be NO tax on small farmers (93 percent of farmers and own only 60 percent of land). Together with agricultural income tax, a high/progressive land based TAX will also be levied on the owners of more than 100 acres of land. The generated funds will be used to support small farmers’ development programmes (small farmers targeted subsidies on seeds, fertilizers, electricity for tubewells, solar tubewells, diesel, and technology like tractors and implements, irrigation systems etc).
2. Institutional Reforms: The PTI will introduce reforms in agricultural research, education and extension organizations/departments to bring small farmers development as top priority on their agenda. They will develop and disseminate technologies that suit to small farmers. Agriculture and technical education will be introduced in rural schools. PTI will require these agricultural institutions to develop large scale small farmers’ development programmes.
3. Agriculture Based Rural Industrialization (ABRI): In order to enhance economic activities in the rural Pakistan and thus create jobs for rural youth, PTI will develop policies and programmes to encourage agriculture based rural industrialization (example may include dairy industry in Barani Punjab, Rice processing/products in rice zones, cotton value chains, citrus process in citrus producing areas etc).
4. Employment Guarantee for Rural Youth (EGRY): Unlike Benazir Income Support Programme (providing cash without any work) PTI will introduce innovative rural development schemes to guarantee at least 90 days of employment per year to the unemployed landless rural youth through Union Councils (projects may include like plantation in the village, roadside plantation contracts with women and landless farmers, improving rural infrastructure etc).
5. Market Access for Small Farmers (MASF): Small farmers do not get fair access to agricultural markets and always are compelled to sell their crops at the lower prices to middle men. The PTI will bring agricultural markets closer to the farms. In every union council, agricultural markets will be introduced
About the Writer:
Dr. Shahid Zia is Member Central Executive Committee and Spokesperson for Food and Agriulture, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
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