Dr. Murtaza Mughal, President of Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW), said on Friday that the nation’s agricultural growth is progressing slowly and needs improvement. He said the lack of water would impact the Kharif harvest, hitting many crops, including the most important cotton crop. Protecting agriculture and farming communities from the effects of climate change is very important; therefore, he demanded it should be given due importance. In a statement issued here today, Dr. Murtaza Mughal said that the population growth is very fast while the overall economic development including the agricultural growth rate is disappointing. He said that climate change must be handled correctly, as it affects agricultural production and millions of farmers. He remarked that the country has been facing drought for the last several years due to a lack of rain and mismanagement, which has affected production. Cotton is the most important crop among the affected crops, and it employs millions of farmers and workers in textile mills.