The "Green Corporate Initiative" is poised to uplift the agriculture economy of Sindh as its true potential has not been exploited due to lack of modern and scientific techniques. Recently, the Sindh government entered into an agreement with M/S Green Corporate Initiative (Pvt.) Limited for corporate agriculture farming over available barren land. In December 2023, the caretaker Sindh government approved the allocation of over 52,000 acres of state land for corporate agriculture farming. The decision designates specific acreages in various regions, including Khairpur, Mithi, Dadu, Sujawal, Thatta and Badin. The allocation falls under the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC). To regulate this land grant, the Sindh government has notified a Statement of Conditions under the British-era law, the Colonisation of Government Lands Act, 1912. The government-owned land will be leased through an open auction for 20 years to individuals or entities for purposes such as agriculture research, farming, import substitution, and livestock research.

The provincial government is entitled to 33% of the profits generated from the project. The conditions explicitly exclude federal and provincial government departments from participating in the open auction, allowing private companies to bid for the land. According to the agreement, the barren land shall be handed over for 20 years after a survey, demarcation and verification that such land is not located in prohibited areas, is not under any pending litigations or court orders and is also not included in any barrage land grants. Further, it shall also be ensured that no land is considered for this initiative, which shall fall within the limits of any villages, katchi abadi (slum), locality, temporary shelters, grazing land, seasonal cultivation area, range, any settlement, amenity land, potential mining areas, already reserved land for any public purposes, motorways, superhighways, national highways, roads, jails, railway lines, irrigation channels, wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, mountain ranges, heritage sites, religious sites, graveyards, forest land, including mangroves habitats and protected forests, wastelands, wetlands, "dhoras"/depressions, sea-creeks, river deltas, inland waters, internal waters, historical waterways, vital security installations, port and seashore.

The company (Green Corporate Initiative Ltd) will spend 20% of the net profit on research and development in the local area, while 40% cent of the net profit will be paid to the Sindh government on an annual basis. However, the remaining 40% of the company's profit share shall also be spent on local infrastructure, irrigation channels, solar-powered water supply schemes, schools, hospitals, development schemes and other facilities in areas, where such projects will be executed. "This agreement will help uplift the agriculture economy of Sindh, which has not been developed on modern lines because of the scarcity of funds as well as the non-existence of the latest agri-techniques in this sector," Bashir Soomro, Director of Sindh Agriculture Department, said. He said that this initiative was being implemented throughout the country as the first such agreement was signed by the Punjab government a few months ago. Now, the Sindh government has taken the lead for a more developed agriculture sector.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)