In the recent cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, various proposals were considered to provide relief to flood-affected farmers. The members proposed that special facilities be provided to the borrowers of the Agricultural Development Bank Limited, which includes waiver of loans or rescheduling of installments as well as exemption from interest payments.
The cabinet emphasized that agriculture and climate change are primarily provincial matters, so no new program should be implemented without consultation and financial support from the provinces.
The participants in the meeting said that short-term and long-term measures must be taken together so that farmers get immediate relief and also make agriculture safe from the effects of climate change.
The meeting also proposed the formation of a high-level committee to deal with the issue, citing the rapidly growing population as a major cause of pressure on resources and climate hazards. The committee will be headed by Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal while the chief secretaries of all the provinces will be involved.