Daily Times

Sir: Pakistan is an agricultural country with fertile land, sufficient water resources, generally favourable ecology and hardworking farm labour. But due to thoughtless planning and mismanagement of agricultural resources, this beautiful country has become food-deficient, where people are starving even in the rural areas.
In agricultural settings, food and fodder are sufficiently available to meet human and animal needs locally. It is very strange that Pakistan imports apples, bananas, potatoes, tomatoes, onions and ginger. Iranian Bhindi (ladyfinger) is also available in Islamabad.
The situation is even worse in urban areas where prices of vegetables and fruits are beyond the reach of a middle class family. In Islamabad, vegetables are selling at Rs 60 to 100 per kg. Prices of cucumber and potatoes, a poor man’s vegetables, are beyond his reach. For a pensioner, ladyfinger has become a forbidden delicacy (Rs 100 per kg). How can a low salaried person afford the luxury of fruits in Pakistan!
Food security is posing a serious problem to Pakistan. Unfortunately our rulers are indifferent to this problem.
In the master plan of Islamabad, there was a provision to build farms to supply vegetables and fruit to the residents of the federal capital. What has happened to these farms is no secret. It goes without saying that the Capital Development Authority is the real culprit in this case.
On paper there is a Kitchen Garden scheme with a supposedly hefty budget to motivate people living in big houses to grow vegetables for personal consumption.
To begin with, the houses of government officials, most of them having sprawling gardens, can produce sufficient vegetables and fruit for general consumption. The lawns of Islamabad club can produce sufficient vegetables for the capital as well as Rawalpindi. Government rest houses can also produce fruits. All this could not happen unless of course the bureaucrats decide to sacrifice the desire to have large lawns to relax in the evening.
In the cantonment area, large tracts of land can be used for agricultural purposes. Let the army take the lead and start a scheme on the lines of Military Diary Farms.
Food security is as important as border security for the people of Pakistan. A well fed population is an asset for the defence of the country.
There is a dire need to boost vegetable and fruit production to achieve the objectives of the National Food Security Programme. The poor need food more than Metro bus.
Asghar mahmood
Via Email