Agriculture sectors: government evolving mechanism to minimise cost of production: Bosan

Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan has said the government is currently focusing on develop mechanisms for minimising cost of production to increase farmers' interest in agriculture and livestock. The Minister said agriculture sector has traditionally sustained a satisfactory growth to ensure food security of growing population.
He said that the unprecedented reduction in the price of diesel, enhanced support price for wheat, slapping of duty on import of wheat to protect local farmers and provision of fertilisers at a uniform rate throughout the country are some of the new initiatives taken in the agricultural sector by this Government to protect and encourage the farmers' community.
Chairman Standing Committee of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry on Horticulture & Agriculture Produce, Ahmad Jawad highlighted the potential of horticulture exports. He said that Pakistan is the fifth largest producer of mangoes, fourth largest producer of dates and thirteenth largest producer of citrus, but the lack of post-harvest and cold chain infrastructure is seriously hampering Pakistan's horticulture export potential.
Every year roughly 30 percent of country total vegetable production and about 40 percent of fruits are being wasted, he pointed out. Quality-conscious foreign buyers want every exporting country to align their supply chains as per international standards in order to expand its share in the international market. Unfortunately, lack of awareness among mostly Pakistani exporters regarding global food safety standards, cohesive supply chains, and marketing systems are to blame for keeping the volume of the country's export low.
Jawad said the reality is clear: horticulture exports can only be boosted if Pakistan can develop an integrated quality system He demanded that government must allocate funds for Horticulture Export in PSDP on the lines of textile policy in the forthcoming budget. The Minister ensured that he will consider his suggestion seriously and discuss with the Ministry officials.
On the Mango export: Director General, Department of Plant Protection (DPP) Dr Mubarak Ahmed briefed the FPCCI Standing Committee on the DPP initiatives which they took for the export of mangoes. The FPCCI committee members appreciated the DPP efforts, but they take up the issue that lack of DPP inspectors hampering the entire export process and demanded that this export season number of inspectors may be increased to facilitate mango exporters. DG DPP admitted and said we will overcome this problem shortly and ensure to facilitate Pakistan mango exports as much as possible.