LAHORE : Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday said as the country’s 60 percent population was involved in the agriculture sector, its promotion and development on modern lines was the government’s foremost priority.

He directed the Government of Punjab to formulate a separate comprehensive action plan for value chain of every agricultural product to improve agricultural productivity and capacity.

The prime minister was presiding over a meeting about increasing agricultural productivity and value chains in Punjab.

Federal ministers Muhammad Hamad Azhar and Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, provincial ministers Syed Hussain Gardezi and Muhammad Sabtain Khan, Special Assistant to the CM on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan and other senior officials were in attendance.

The prime minister directed that besides addressing the basic food security issues, the value chains of agricultural produce should be fully focused.

He further stressed for the formulation of a comprehensive strategy with timelines under which the agricultural productivity could be tripled from the current level.

For complete reforms in the agriculture sector, the prime minister directed to run all agriculture-related sectors, including livestock, fisheries etc. on modern and corporate lines.

Imran Khan assured full support of the Federal Government to the Government of Punjab for immediate redressal of all the issues coming in the way of agricultural reforms in the province.

Dr Salman Shah, Advisor to the Punjab CM, briefed the meeting about suggestions for enhancing agricultural productivity and promoting value chains as per the PM’s vision.

The prime minister was also briefed about the issuance of Kissan Card for the financial assistance of farmers in Punjab