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HYDERABAD: While industrialists noted some positive budgetary proposals, leaders of the farming community complained that the agriculture sector was largely ignored.
Sindh Chamber of Agriculture Senior Vice President Nabi Bux Sathio said Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb had not given adequate attention to the agriculture sector in his budget speech. “No incentive or noteworthy step is seen in the speech,” he added.
He pointed out that Rs4.18 billion had been allocated for research, but without clarity on targeted areas. He said the agriculture sector was increasingly vulnerable to climate change and stressed the need for climate-resilient, high-yield seeds for major crops such as wheat, cotton, rice and sugarcane. He warned that reliance on hybrid seeds in crops like rice, onion and chilli could be unsustainable in the long run.
Mr Sathio said even the Rs4.18bn research allocation was insufficient, as the sector required much greater funding. He also referred to Rs7.3bn allocated for cold storage facilities, questioning the nature of such infrastructure and stressing that allocations must be linked to transparent utilisation and accountability.
