Corporate farming by defence forces gets a jumpstart

KHANEWAL: The cutting-edge corporate agriculture farming Sunday got a jumpstart by the defence forces in a multi-billion dollar move, aiming to ensure national food security and tapping the export market.


“We launched a modern corporate farming project to take Pakistan’s agriculture to new height. Our main focus area has been import-substitution farming so that domestic production can eventually replace billions of dollar worth of imports,” said Maj Gen (Retd) Tahir Aslam, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of FonGrow, a subsidiary of Fauji Foundation, which is spearheaded by defence institutions.

Aslam termed FonGrow a harbinger of completely mechanised, smart farming in the country as part of a flagship project of Green Pakistan Initiative, recently launched under the auspices of Pakistan Army at a function attended by the prime minister and Chief of the Army Staff.

He was talking to Lahore-based journalists during a media visit to the 2,250-acre site of country’s first corporate farm on Sunday, which is scheduled to be formally inaugurated by prime minister and Army Chief today (Monday).

Tahir said FonGrow was devolving a model that could be replicated by foreign investors at a later stage.

“We strive to expand corporate farms to 100,000 acres for cultivating wheat, cotton, oilseed crops, soybean and sesame in different districts of the country. The Green Initiative eyes corporate farming at one million acres of land by fostering partnership with various foreign and local players,” he added.

“We have set up this platform on the premise to achieve goal of reducing foreign dependency through enhanced local production. Our first trial of maize crop has yielded 20 percent more output than output of progressive farmers and that too with lesser use of water, fertiliser and other inputs.

“The establishment of FonGrow farm is truly the first step towards agricultural revolution. This is a one-of-a-kind agricultural system spread over 2,250 acres at Porowal which is planned to be expanded under a robust development plan in the next five years. It consists of mostly barren piece of land,” he said.

To a question, he made it clear that they were not against or competing with small-scale farmers. Rather, he claimed, this initiative would help introduce best farming practices at different levels.

Muhammad Zahid Aziz, Manager Farms, said the country’s agriculture needs to be expanded both horizontally and vertically with a view to increasing area under cultivation and enhancing per acre yield.

FonGrow is simultaneously targeting both these goals by employing resource conservation technology.

He said similar corporate farming in desert and semi-desert land in Bhakkar, Mankera and Layyah was also being launched.

Eng Mushtaq Ahmed Gill, Irrigation Consultant, said high efficiency agriculture had been the hallmark of FonGrow corporate farming where the center pivot irrigation made it possible to conserve water up to 90 percent.

It is sheer departure from conventional flood irrigation where most of water is lost before reaching the plants.

Corporate farming by defence forces gets a jumpstart

KHANEWAL: The cutting-edge corporate agriculture farming Sunday got a jumpstart by the defence forces in a multi-billion dollar move, aiming to ensure national food security and tapping the export...

www.thenews.com.pk

 

[Jango]

In a recent interview of AA, he is supporting the Senate Chairman shooting down an anti-PTI bill in Senate.
Honestly, I have seen much more 'balance' and 'maturity' in the anchors who might appear anti-PTI then in the cultist anchors. Many of the anti-Imran, like me, have turned against PTI but that aversion has its roots in recognizing Imran Khan's intolerable personal flaws. PTI would have been fine if someone like Assad Umar was groomed to be a real alternative. But nothing could be allowed as alternative. 27 years!!

You're a clever fellow, I'll give you that.

 

[fatman17]

Armed forces should focus on their primary function.

 

[Bouncer]

I think we are competing with ourselves to become the biggest joke of a country this planet has ever seen. Its not even sad anymore. Its beyond pathetic what this country has become.

Just today they have shut down entire capitol because a vice premier from China is visiting. Imagine shutting down London, Paris or New Dehli because a vice premier from China is visiting. No joke. Schools, offices, shops and businesses are shut down.

 

[Ghessan]

You're a clever fellow, I'll give you that.

put anyone into a play that is to play safe. you'll find him clever.

what he has to lose? when situation is ideal, you can talk all the shit and claim saint.

 

[Meengla]

put anyone into a play that is to play safe. you'll find him clever.

what he has to lose? when situation is ideal, you can talk all the shit and claim saint.

Oh, please! I am obviously not mincing words criticizing Imran Khan and that is very uncomfortable for Imran's followers. It gives me no pleasure but I consider it my duty to call a spade a spade. Pakistan needs peace and focus for the next 10 years at least to pull back from the abyss. But one thing you can be sure of: Imran cannot defeat the entire combined opposition in the fairest of all elections in Pakistan's history and the end result would be Imran would be back on a container disrupting Pakistan's economy and image forever. I don't want that. Pakistan doesnt' need that. But if I had the slightest hope that Imran would play by the rules, I'd support him. There had been sour losers in Pakistan's anarchic political history but none worse than Imran.

 

[uhuru]

Armed forces should focus on their primary function.

they are unfortunately hell bent of economic self enrichment. They are following the exact dicate of Egyptian armed forces. Even China was to some extent like that but Deng put an end to it. Very simple - do your JOB!!!.

What do these morons know? Agriculture... what a laughing stock and then to say 'corporate' - it is saying i am a hyena but i have put on another set of clothes that makes me a business man.

These morons are only after one thing... money money money.

All the mining sector will now go to them... Watch my words ... in Sudan same thing... military junta is controlling all the illicit gold traffic to dubai. you must see the Gold Mafia documentary... your journalist got close to this as well and paid the price.

 

[StraightEdge]

Why is army involved in corporate activities?

 

[Olympus81]

As per PDMers, army going in corporate farming business is IK’s fault.

 

[TigerOfMysore]

they are unfortunately hell bent of economic self enrichment. They are following the exact dicate of Egyptian armed forces. Even China was to some extent like that but Deng put an end to it. Very simple - do your JOB!!!.

What do these morons know? Agriculture... what a laughing stock and then to say 'corporate' - it is saying i am a hyena but i have put on another set of clothes that makes me a business man.

These morons are only after one thing... money money money.

All the mining sector will now go to them... Watch my words ... in Sudan same thing... military junta is controlling all the illicit gold traffic to dubai. you must see the Gold Mafia documentary... your journalist got close to this as well and paid the price.

Even some firing ranges that have been given to the Army have been in some cases sub-leased to farming. Bases are cut-up and made into housing units that initially are designed as housing for soliders, but eventually finds its way to public sales. Smalls malls and shopping centers on military land can also been seen, a glaring example the Shaheen Air Base on Shah-rae-Faisal in Karachi. It is sick to see how SICK our armed forces are and have become.

 

[uhuru]

Even some firing ranges that have been given to the Army have been in some cases sub-leased to farming. Bases are cut-up and made into housing units that initially are designed as housing for soliders, but eventually finds its way to public sales. Smalls malls and shopping centers on military land can also been seen, a glaring example the Shaheen Air Base on Shah-rae-Faisal in Karachi. It is sick to see how SICK our armed forces are and have become.

These are haramkhors of the worst kind.

Exactly what i see when i go to egypt.. just a mafia nothing else

 

[Jango]

Even some firing ranges that have been given to the Army have been in some cases sub-leased to farming. Bases are cut-up and made into housing units that initially are designed as housing for soliders, but eventually finds its way to public sales. Smalls malls and shopping centers on military land can also been seen, a glaring example the Shaheen Air Base on Shah-rae-Faisal in Karachi. It is sick to see how SICK our armed forces are and have become.

Half of Pindi is on military land.

ISI rents out major properties and collects rent from them. One of them is a very old and very famous building.

BTW, jo phuddu aaj kal corporate farming ki fancy conventions par suit pehen kar ja rahay hain, those chaps are the very people responsible for our agricultural downfall. Have a read below, it's a long, but eye opening one.

For six years, Pakistan’s sugar barons were at war. Did they just call a truce?

Run on the power of political patronage, the sugar industry in Pakistan often ebbs and flows with the tides of political alliance

profit.pakistantoday.com.pk

 

[Ghessan]

Oh, please! I am obviously not mincing words criticizing Imran Khan and that is very uncomfortable for Imran's followers. It gives me no pleasure but I consider it my duty to call a spade a spade. Pakistan needs peace and focus for the next 10 years at least to pull back from the abyss. But one thing you can be sure of: Imran cannot defeat the entire combined opposition in the fairest of all elections in Pakistan's history and the end result would be Imran would be back on a container disrupting Pakistan's economy and image forever. I don't want that. Pakistan doesnt' need that. But if I had the slightest hope that Imran would play by the rules, I'd support him. There had been sour losers in Pakistan's anarchic political history but none worse than Imran.

you are are obsessed with Imran Khan. that is how you are behaving in every post.

his followers are simply following him. what it has to do with you while you are following some retard. let them do, simple as that.

why pain in your a**

and your duty? funny man get a life. do something constructive. why shouting at retards following IK, after all they are retards, no?

 

[PakFactor]

Half of Pindi is on military land.

ISI rents out major properties and collects rent from them. One of them is a very old and very famous building.

BTW, jo phuddu aaj kal corporate farming ki fancy conventions par suit pehen kar ja rahay hain, those chaps are the very people responsible for our agricultural downfall. Have a read below, it's a long, but eye opening one.

For six years, Pakistan’s sugar barons were at war. Did they just call a truce?

Run on the power of political patronage, the sugar industry in Pakistan often ebbs and flows with the tides of political alliance

profit.pakistantoday.com.pk

Thanks for sharing. That was a pretty good read.

This is why overseas Pakistanis can't do business in this country properly. Real estate building can only do so much.

 

[Jango]

This picture represents the state of our army these days, and actually since the past many years, decades even.

 

[ghazi52]

What the east neighbor is saying....
,,,,,,,

Abandoned by the West, Pakistan Army wants Gulf countries to start corporate farming in Pakistan​

The Pakistani Army under General Asim Munir is taking the lead in economic decisions for the embattled nation

With Pakistan teetering on the brink of financial collapse, the powerful military, which owns large tracts of farmland in the country, has stepped in with an idea that Pakistan gives corporate farming projects to the Gulf countries in return for advance funds.

The military mooted the idea through the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) set up by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif which has Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir on the Apex Committee along with Sharif. The SIFC was set up this week to invite foreign investment and steer the country out of its economic crisis.

The army suggested that Gulf countries have shown interest in operating corporate farming projects in Pakistan and more needs to be explored in this area through joint ventures. This idea forms part of an alternative plan if Pakistan does not get bailout funds from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by June 30.

The Pakistani Army which has a deep interest in agricultural lands and allots lands to all officers is taking the lead in reviving the country’s economic fortunes.

Recently, it wanted to acquire lands for Corporate Agriculture Farming (CAF) under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) – a mega infrastructure and investment corridor being pushed by Beijing across Pakistan. The army had told the Punjab government that it needed up to one million acres of land for “corporate agriculture farming”. It added that rising oil and food prices pose a serious challenge to Pakistan and the army possessed the experience to develop waste and barren lands.

The Lahore High court has, however, nixed the army’s idea of farming the lands for China using the CPEC as a pretext.

Other ideas to resuscitate the economically broken country include handing over port berths at the Karachi Port to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and invite foreign remittances from non-resident Pakistanis by implementing a “no-questions-asked foreign remittance amnesty”. This would allow the diaspora to push its remittances from $100,000 to $200,000.

Through SIFC, Pakistan plans to invite investment and pursue privatisation in five areas – defence, agriculture, minerals, information technology and telecommunications and energy. This is to be done through friendly countries, which the Pakistani media has highlighted as those from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

The Sharif government came up with alternative ideas to shore up its economy after the US ambassador Donald Blome asked Pakistani Finance Minister Ishaq Dar to work on “Plan B” if the IMF loan does not materialise. Experts construe this as an indirect hint to the Pakistani government to save itself and not depend upon foreign bailouts.

The Pakistani finance minister also held a virtual meet with Andrew Mitchell, the British Minister in charge of foreign aid. Reportedly, The UK minister asked Pakistan to improve its relations with the international lender.

Islamabad has had a tough relationship with the IMF with sparring over the last few months. Dar has accused the IMF of forcing Pakistan to default due to geopolitical reasons.

Pakistan has freely availed of the largesse of the West through at least 21 IMF loans previously.

Despite its geo-strategic location, Pakistan’s time for free lunches is seemingly over.

Abandoned by the West, Pakistan Army wants Gulf countries to start corporate farming in Pak

Abandoned by the West, the Pakistan Army wants foreign investments and corporate farming from Gulf countries to resolve economic situation

www.indianarrative.com