Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif addressed the relevant authorities on Thursday to formulate a long -term sustainable policy for agroindustrial development to promote agriculture and forestry: key sectors to mitigate the impact of climate change, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported.
While presiding over a meeting on agricultural sector reforms, the prime minister emphasized that the government focuses on modernizing agriculture to achieve self -sufficiency. He instructed officials to devise a coordinated strategy in consultation with the provinces and all relevant interested parties.
Highlighting the vast potential of the Pakistan agricultural sector for rapid economic development, the prime minister said the country is endowed with fertile land, qualified agricultural experts and working farmers.
Read more: Low cotton, corn exit a setback
In addition, he directed that agricultural loans be granted to farmers in easy terms and emphasized the importance of promoting agricultural research to improve productivity.
In addition, he also ordered the interested departments to present a National Agricultural Innovation Plan aimed at promoting innovation throughout the sector.
The Prime Minister also requested the acceleration of current reforms in the certification system for agricultural seeds and the formulation of a comprehensive action plan to promote the use of high quality seeds.
Underlining the government’s commitment to modernize agriculture, it ordered the development of a robust regulatory framework to support innovation and the adoption of technology in the sector.
During the meeting, the proposals were presented by the working group established for agricultural reforms. The meeting was attended by federal ministers Rana Tanveer Hussain, Ahad Khan Chema, Muhammad Aurengzeb and Musadik Malik, along with senior government officials.
This development occurs when the agricultural sector of Pakistan faces significant challenges.
According to data from the Pakistan Statistics Office (PBS) and Topline investigation, the sector growth rate fell to 1.1% in the second quarter of fiscal year 2024–25, below 6.1% in the same quarter of fiscal year 2023–24.
The acute decrease has greatly attributed to a 31% drop in cotton production and a 15.4% drop in corn production, which are vital for the general performance of the sector.
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In addition, GRAM crops have seen an acute recession in the Thal fed with rain region, where prolonged drought and the effects of climate change have devastated hundreds of acres of farmland, pushing local farmers to financial difficulties.
Earlier this month, Sindh’s prime minister Murad Ali Shah ordered the provincial agriculture department to develop a four -year package for small producers to strengthen the agricultural system of the province and support vulnerable farmers.
