According to recently released documents, the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) has designated 4.8 million acres of state property for corporate agribusiness farming lease to a military-run company.
A lawmaker questioned the minister of national food security on August 9 at a National Assembly session over the government’s initiatives to increase agricultural cultivation. Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain responded by outlining several governmental initiatives that over the previous five years have attempted to increase crop productivity and extend farming areas.
Hussain then disclosed that 4.8 million acres of “barren” land nationwide have been designated for corporate farming under the government’s Green Pakistan Initiative, with SIFC’s approval.
This area, which makes up around 9.5% of Punjab’s entire land area, is greater than the island of Jamaica.
