Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday directed authorities to formulate a comprehensive five-year strategy to boost agricultural exports.
He emphasized that reforming the agriculture sector and educating farmers on international standards were top priorities of the government.
The prime minister was chairing a meeting of a Working Group comprising private sector experts. The working group was established to align the agriculture sector with the international requirements and to increase the country’s agriculture exports.
“The federal government, within its own jurisdiction, is undertaking reforms in the agriculture sector and, in collaboration with provincial governments, is taking measures to promote agricultural development,” the prime minister said adding that the government was taking measures to increase the per acre yield of the crops by providing farmers with standard seeds, fertilizers and pesticides timely and at affordable prices.
PM Shehbaz Sharif pointed out that the government was also taking policy-level steps aimed at processing of the agriculture produce to make them export-ready goods.
Recently, he said the 1000 Pakistani students had been sent to China at government expenses to train them on the modern agriculture technology.
Pakistan has great potential in the agriculture sector, the prime minister said, adding that, within available resources, investment was being made in research for agricultural development in order to increase per-acre yield.
He also emphasized that the government was taking measures to increase the export of the fisheries and horticulture products.
He directed the relevant authorities to present the policy measures to produce palm oil along the coastal belt.
The meeting was attended by Federal Ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Rana Tanveer Hussain, Dr Musadik Malik, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Attaullah Tarar, Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kayani, Special Assistant Haroon Akhtar, and senior government officials.
During the meeting, Chairman Working Group Rana Naseem and his team briefed the participants on the issues faced by the sector and the future plan of action.
The meeting was given a detailed comparative overview, at regional and global levels, of major Rabi and Kharif crops in the country, their average per-acre yields, horticulture and fruit production and exports, livestock, the dairy sector, and all agriculture-related sectors.
It was informed that under a short-term reform framework, Pakistan’s current average per-acre yields would be increased while remaining within existing resources.
For this purpose, the federal government, along with policy measures and the provision of quality seeds, will work in cooperation with provincial governments to ensure effective extension services and to acquaint farmers with modern agricultural practices.
The meeting was further informed that the federal government will work on a certification regime for the processing of agricultural commodities, which will ensure value addition of agricultural produce and their derived products in global markets, thereby increasing farmers’ profits.
A comprehensive roadmap for reforms of research institutions was also presented, which will ensure not only increased productivity of existing crops but also encourage the cultivation of new and profitable crops suited to Pakistan’s climate and soil.
The prime minister appreciated the detailed briefing by the Working Group and directed that a practical, effective, and comprehensive roadmap be prepared and included in the government’s reform recommendations.