Pakistan intends to start corporate farming: minister

"Pakistan is the safest country of the world in terms of food security which are surplus in three major crops including wheat, rice and maize", Federal Minster for Food and Agriculture (Minfa), Nazar Muhammad Gondal has categorically denied the report of an international agency that Pakistan was the 11th country in terms of food insecurity.
There were surplus crop of gram, moong and potato available in the country with strong poultry and livestock sector and Pakistan was one of the largest milk producing countries in the world which has about 170 million animals at least one animal for one person ratio in the country, he added.
He said that now Pakistan intends to start corporate farming to utilise its million of hectares barren land to ensure food security and further stabilise national economy. Talking to a group of newsmen here on Friday, he said "Pakistan has about 8 million hectare fertile cultivable land in four provinces besides hectares of barren land which can use for crop production by developing corporate farming and for maximisation of agriculture production in the country", he said.
The minister, however clarified that there was no mature deal with any country or corporate sector for corporate farming so far, while commenting a news item published in section of the press. The corporate farming would be introduced with our own terms and conditions with foreign corporate sector, he said. Nazar Gondal said that the government of Saudi Arabia has showed its interest to acquire some land here for farming but there was no progress in this regard so far.
The government, he said has initiated some terms and conditions for leasing of the land to foreign corporate farmers that have to install their own equipment for exploration of water for irrigation, besides bringing with them the modern farming facilities and high-tech instruments for land development.
While commenting the outcomes of corporate farming in country, the minister said that it would bring positive results in national economy particularly agri-sector of the country. Besides the income of barren land would create job opportunities for the people living far-flung rural areas of the country and it would also help introduce modern facilities of farming besides use of hybrids seeds.
While commenting the foreign agencies rating about Pakistan, in which the report said that Pakistan was the 11th country in terms of food insecurity, he "categorically denied the news item". "Pakistan is the safest country of the world in terms of food security which are surplus in two major crops including wheat and maize", he remarked.