Pakistan Army and Punjab Government joined a ‘Corporate Agriculture Farming’ venture with the private sector in Punjab for the uplift of the sector.
According to details, the Punjab government has allocated over 45,000 acres of land to the Pakistan Army for a “Corporate Agriculture Farming” project in the shape of a “joint venture” to enhance the crop yield in order to ensure food autarky.
“The army will play a role at the management level to make the project a success story. However, the ownership of the land will continue to stay with the provincial government. The military will not get any profit or share in the revenue to be mopped from corporate agriculture farming,” sources in the armed forces confided.
The report stated that corporate agriculture farming will be initiated on 45,267 acres of the Punjab government in the Bhakkar, Khushab and Sahiwal districts. The project will be completed in phases.
The joint venture management agreement was signed on March 8, 2023, with the Punjab government.
“Under the agreement, the Punjab government will hand over its state lands of 45,267 acres to the army for corporate agriculture farming,” discloses an official correspondence that took place on March 10, 2023, between the army and Member (Colonies) Board of Review of Punjab.
And to this effect, the Board of Revenue has been asked to hand over by March 17, 2023, 10,273 acres of the Livestock department, Mouza Rakh Ghuman, Tehsil Kalloor Kot, district Bhakkar; by March 23, 27 acres of land of the Forest department, Muaza Gohar Wala, Tehsil Kalloor, Bhakkar and by March 15, 9,424 acres of land of Livestock department, Rakh Mahni, Tehsil Mankera, Bhakkar.
The Revenue Board of Punjab has been asked to provide by March 17, 981 acres of the livestock department, Chak 61 MB, tehsil and district Khushab, and by 18 March 837 acres of land of the Agriculture Department, Chak 5 MB, tehsil Quaidabad, district Khushab.
It has also been directed to hand over 725 acres of land to the provincial government, Chak 12/11 L, Tehsil Chichawatni, district Sahiwal.
It is learned that the joint venture has been signed between the military, the Punjab government, and private firms dealing with corporate farming.
Remember that In the first phase of the project, different varieties of pulses, millets, and rice will be cultivated. This will be followed by large-scale cultivation of canola and wheat and for this, the Punjab government will provide the land while the army will utilize its resources and retain the management of the project. The private sector, on the other hand, will invest and provide auxiliary support, including the supply of fertilizers.
