The recently concluded Second National Conference on Agriculture and Animal Sciences recommended some important measures imperative for sustainable development of agriculture sector in the country.
There was unanimity of opinion that the agriculture sector with its major component livestock is vital for economic development, food security and poverty alleviation, and as such it should be considered as the engine of economic growth.
It said that agriculture should be given high priority in state policies so that increase in productivity could be achieved through system management, farm support and use of available technology. Increased production will reduce imports, benefit the farmers and have positive impact on rural poverty. Future sources of growth in agriculture are increased intensification, better harvest management and global and domestic trade.
It was felt that here is urgent need for overall improvement in agriculture, livestock, fisheries and forestry with meticulous emphasis on bridging the gap in agriculture and animal production yields.
The experts, referring to irrigated agriculture in Pakistan, said it was seriously threatened due depleting water resources. Therefore, there was need that these resources must be managed on rational and conserved lines and new irrigation and farm management technologies should be adopted.
For achieving maximum income from sustainable use of land and water resources, optimum land use (Agro-ecology), cropping pattern and sequence, product quality and consumer preference will be required.
They said that education in agriculture subjects should meet the national and global needs and students should be given sufficient opportunity of field experience and intensive training in socio-economics and policy formulations.
They said that research in agriculture and animal sciences should be stepped up substantially with the objective to generate improved technologies as they form the crucial input in agriculture and animal production. Moreover, neglected areas be given high priority in agriculture planning, for example livestock, fisheries, forestry, farm machinery, socio-economic and marketing.
The experts emphasised the need for revamping Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Extension as, they said, farming systems are becoming specialised subjects and current Extension system is unsuitable for the changed circumstances. Research-Extension linkages be established and emphasis be ggiven to electronic media and Internet for transfer of technology.
They said that there was need to reverse the increasing damage to the ecological foundation of agriculture and livestock such as land, water, forest, biodiversity and atmosphere. There is distinct possibility of adverse changes in climate, which will affect the weather patterns, water resources, cycling of seasons and ecosystem.
Marine and coastal fish production has drastically reduced due to reduced flow of water in the Indus Delta, resulting in ecological and social problems. Restoration of delta and coastal aquaculture development should be given priority by both provincial and federal governments.
The experts pointed out that new technological developments are taking place in the field of technologies. Exotic transgenic varieties (GMOs) should not be used until and unless their environmental, ecological, nutritional, economic and social implications and consequences are fully understood.
They said that there should be complementarity between the government. market and civil society for ensuring household food security. Prevalence of market imperfections exacerbates food security. The state's role is important in ensuring accessibility and availability of food to low income households.
It was pointed out that wetlands were undergoing continual decline and degeneration due to industrial and domestic pollution and pesticides runoff. There is need to address this factor for conservation of wetlands with respect to their biodiversity, water quality and aquatic ecosystem. Government personnel and concerned stakeholders should be trained in wetland management and community-based resource management.
The agriculture scientists were of consensus opinion that three dimensions ie ecological security, livelihood security, and food security, which are essential elements of sustainable use of natural resources, should be given due consideration in framing the policies for national agriculture and future development strategies.
Biodiversity needs to be conserved as a matter of survival and economic benefits. In view of the growing threats to biological diversity, time has come to consider the Earth's natural and biological resources as assets to be projected and conserved and managed for the benefit of all humanity and future generations, they added.
It was unanimously resolved by the participants of the conference that 'Society for Sindh Advancement of Agriculture Sciences' (SAAS) be founded at Sindh Agriculture University, and the Third Agriculture and Animal Sciences should be declared as 'International Conference-2006'.
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