KARACHI: After the provincial caretaker government gave over 50,000 acres to an army-backed entity for corporate farming in January amid strong protest by nationalist and regional parties, the Pakistan Peoples Party government in Sindh has also decided to extend the initiative to attract local and foreign investors in the province’s agriculture sector.

A spokesperson for the Chief Minister House said a high-level meeting, chaired by CM Murad Ali Shah on Friday, was told that the caretaker cabinet had approved a proposal for corporate farming on Dec 1, 2023.

The chief minister directed the agriculture department to file proposals for the purpose so that projects pertaining to corporate farming could be launched.

He said that there was a dire need to improve crop yield with the help of technology, directing the agriculture department to strengthen its various wings, including research centres for the supreme interest of the peasants, growers, and economy, the spokesperson said.

Murad asks agriculture dept to submit proposals; calls for legislation for integrated water resource management

Informed sources told Dawn that the provincial government had sought from its agriculture department proposals to provide input facilities such as provision of fortified seeds, subsidised fertilisers and water for the corporate agriculture farming on the barren lands in the province.

They said that the provincial government had decided to promote corporate agriculture farming on the barren lands of the province. Local growers would be given equal opportunities in corporate farming and they would be encouraged to adopt latest methods and techniques in the cultivation of land.

It may be noted that the caretaker provincial government had on Jan 19 through an agreement given M/s Green Corporate Initiative (Private) Limited 52,000 acres in six districts for corporate farming despite reservations from nationalist parties.

According to the agreement between the caretaker government and the army-backed firm, the local administration in Sindh had identified approximately 52,713 acres of “barren” land — 28,000 acres in Khairpur, 10,000 acres in Tharparkar, 9,305 acres in Dadu, 1,000 acres in Thatta, 3,408 acres in Sujawal and 1,000 acres in Badin — to be handed over to the company for the next 20 years to execute its ‘Green Pakistan Initiative’, which is aimed at modernising agricultural practices by bringing the concept of corporate farming in the country.

In July 2023, the then prime minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of the Army Staff General Asim Munir launched the first corporate farm.

However, terming the project an “onslaught” on the province, the nationalist parties in the province have raised serious reservations against it.

The sources, nevertheless, said that the land would not be granted as a title but would be given just for cultivation purposes and no water rights of the local population shall be affected as the companies would have to arrange for water resources through alternative modes rather than relying solely on irrigation channels.

CM seeks comments on abiana rate revised by caretakers

Meanwhile, the CM House spokesperson said that at the same meeting, Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro informed the chief minister that the caretaker provincial government had approved revised abiana rates on Feb 20.

The chief minister directed the irrigation minister to file his comments on the rates revised by the caretaker government so that they could be ratified.

The chief minister said that there was a need to develop a groundwater regulatory framework.

He directed the irrigation department to work on a new water law for integrated water resource management.

He added that the legislation would be made for the groundwater regulatory framework.

The irrigation minister told the CM that the desilting of the 60 channels in the command of Begari Sindh Feeder Canal was started on Dec 20 and would be completed on June 15, 2024.

He said that desilting of 76 channels in the command of Pinyari and Kalri Baghar Feeder had also been started and would be completed on April 4, 2024.

Mr Shoro further said that the desilting of 132 channels in the command area of the Ghotki feeder Canal, Nara Canal, Fuleli Canal, and Akram Wah started on Dec 28, 2023, and would be completed by April 15, 2024.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2024