ISLAMABAD, June 13(ABC): PTI Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan Monday warned of food insecurity in the country if the coalition government does not focus on giving targetted subsidies to farmers.
Addressing a farmer’s convention in the federal capital, the party chairman said: “Farmers are given subsidies all over the world and if the agriculture sector is not sustainable, this would put national security in danger.”
The former prime minister said that the country cannot move forward if farmers are ignored. “This will lead to food insecurity in the country,” he added.
Commenting on the rising inflation, the ex-premier said that the farmers showed a record production during the PTI government’s tenure as it had provided subsidies to them. “Cotton production increased by 17%, sugarcane by 9.4%, and sugar production by 24% during the PTI’s tenure,” Khan added.
He said that the prices of petrol, electricity, and ghee had increased during the incumbent government’s tenure.
Talking about his government’s efforts to provide ease to the farmers, the PTI chairman said his government provided a Rs132 billion subsidy on urea fertiliser. “Our government tried its best to help farmers,” he reiterated.