AGAINST farmers` fears the government did not slap GST on agriculture inputs in this budget,which can only be welcomed. It will certainly breathe some life into a sector that has otherwise been facing an existential threat. The missing GST would cause the government some revenue loss. Now, it must ensure that a corresponding benefit reaches the farmers rather than being lost to the black market. It should have spared some money and policy initiatives to make markets efficient.

Farmers have lost over Rs1tr the difference between the support and indicative price and the actual sale price in the market on all major crops. They can hardly afford to suffer more losses.

Another area where the farmers begged for relief was electricity rates because its a federal subject. But there is no relief. It will continue to bleed the farmers white, ensuring low growth rates.

The budget also missed a long-term policy for sustainable growth to ensure food security. Pakistan`s population is growing at 2.25pc per annum, adding around 5.5m heads every year. The country needs 7pc growth rate on a sustainable basis. In order to achieve that, a 10-year sustainable agricultural policy framework should have been devised. Without such a policy, the sector will remain a season-toseason affair, generating uncertainties every six months. •