Food security programme

The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock is trying to work out modalities of a comprehensive food security programme, in consultation with the Planning Commission, to enhance Pakistan's agricultural yield, which is at present one of the lowest in the world.
According to a Recorder Report, the phased project, which is to cover 13,000 villages by 2015, is to involve a total financial outlay of Rs 7.8 billion, out of which Rs 4 billion will be used as a revolving fund to advance soft-term credit to small farmers to help them purchase inputs to maximise productivity. Some 1,000 villages will be covered in the initial phase, to reduce the existing 50 percent yield disparity between progressive and small farmers.
Aside from enhancing crop yield, small farmers will be encouraged to diversify their activities into agriculture related sectors like livestock, fisheries etc. The revolving fund will also be used to put in place systems for value addition of crops and livestock, along with improved market access and linkages.
Under the programme, farmers will be supplied seed at subsidised rates, besides credit from the revolving fund to purchase other inputs and employ agriculture and livestock extension workers.
Interestingly, in this scheme there is not even a passing mention of education of farmers or their basic technical training in farming methodologies and use of inputs like fertiliser etc lack of which has been one of the major causes of our low productivity. Inadequate extension services too have had a role in precipitating the crisis.
There has been a steep decline in agriculture sector yield since 1949/50 when it was by far the strongest sector of Pakistan's economy, with its contribution to GDP standing at over 53 percent. However, by 2002-03 this was down to only 23.6 percent, ie less than even one-quarter of the GDP.
While in 1949-50 agriculture contributed over half of GDP, today the services sector contributes half, and is twice as large as agriculture. Another equally vital factor is the decline in the share of the labour force employed in agriculture, from 65 percent in 1950-51 to 48 percent today, although it is still the largest sector in terms of employment.
Agriculture was the dominant sector of the economy in 1947 with a substantial share of employment and being the main contributor to GDP until about 1958, agricultural output and production stagnated, with the growth rate between 1949 and 1958 being only 1.43 percent, which was less than half the growth rate of population. This means that even the per capita consumption of good grain declined during this period.
Food had to be imported and there was a heavy dependence on foreign aid and other handouts. Since the 1960s agriculture sector has had to contend with a host of problems such as soil erosion and a dangerous imbalance in the soil's chemical contents. Farmers' training in such technical issues can help avert the brewing crisis.
Further, developing better understanding of farmers in the timely use of water is as important as the quantum of water needed for different crops. Farmers should be induced to go for sprinkle irrigation, which is one of the most effective water conservation techniques ever developed by scientists. Many of our neighbouring countries have adopted sprinkle irrigation to tide over growing water scarcity.
The government should arrange field training of farmers in different varieties of soil, as no uniform fertiliser formula can be used for all types of soil. Secondly, timely availability of credit is as important as its quantum. Interestingly, while the amount of credit has gone up, the number of recipients has gone down, which means that credit is going into the hands of only a lucky few.
A policy of uniform availability of credit at concessional terms needs to be adopted. Field workshops on seed and soil quality should be arranged for farmers, and on how to rectify the chemical imbalance in soil. Rapid growth in population has made it imperative for the government to educate the farmers in the latest farming techniques and technologies. There is an urgent need for introducing progressive farming.
Unfortunately, Agriculture Ministry babus, with their laid-back approach and groovy thinking, seem unlikely to address the challenges that are staring us in the face. The ministry's focus has largely stayed on cotton and wheat, while other crops have suffered neglect. A balanced approach needs to be adopted if the country's agricultural sector is to be revitalised. Piecemeal or self-serving measures will not do.