Food Security: Rs 5.7 billion for 60 projects in PSDP

Food Security: Rs 5.7 billion for 60 projects in PSDP

ISLAMABAD: (APP) Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFS&R) has proposed 60 developmental projects worth Rs 5793.66 million under Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2017-18 for the uplift of agriculture and livestock sector of the country.

According to official sources on Thursday, out of total projects, 14 are new approved projects, 27 un-approved projects and 19 are ongoing projects in different sectors of agriculture and livestock development.

Total cost of these projects are estimated at Rs 26,318.513 million and it would be completed in 3-5 years.

These projects would be executed by different allied departments of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research in research, water management, plant protection, seed certification and animal quarantine as well as aquaculture development in the country.

Out of the total projects, 36 projects worth Rs 3789.286 million are proposed in PSDP 2017-18 for Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) in order to speed up research activities to enhance per acre crop output in the country.

Meanwhile, two projects valuing Rs 1209.420 million are proposed for Federal Water Management Cell to introduce efficient technologies of water usage for irrigation of crops as well as to conserve water in the country.

Ministry has also proposed three projects for Department of Plant Protection with an estimated cost of Rs 68.290 and two projects for Animal Quarantine Department worth Rs 30.900 million and three projects for Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department of Rs 46 million.

The ministry has demanded Rs 278.260 million in PSDP 2017-18 for developmental projects of National Veterinary Laboratory and Rs 130 million for three projects of Livestock and Dairy Development Board.