Pakistan has asked the member states of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to join hands to tackle upcoming challenges of the agri sector, said Food, Agriculture and Livestock Secretary Muhammad Ismail Qureshi on Tuesday.
Chairing a technical session on the first meeting of Saarc countries here, Qureshi stressed the member states to adjust quickly to the scenario and emerging situation before Doha round. "We should define goals and set output targets and co-operate not only to compete our contemporaries but also to get millions of people out of food insecurity by focusing on research and development," Qureshi added.
Saarc countries have abundant agriculture resources, varied soils and climatic conditions and are suitable to grow different crops, fruits and vegetables. The region has diversified livestock, a key source of livelihood and food security in the regions. Similar is the situation of fisheries, he said.
"Saarc offers a unique opportunity to address key areas of common interest in South Asian region ie regional trade in agriculture products, trans-boundary animal diseases and pest attack and establishing uniform standards and norms for quality of tradable agriculture commodities," he added.
He further said Pakistan attached highest priority to agriculture growth as a means to attain rapid growth and poverty reduction. The targeted growth rate for the sector is four to five percent per year. Keeping this objective in view, the government has been vigorously implementing policy and institutional reforms and making substantial investment in infrastructure and services to improve competitiveness of agriculture, said secretary Minfal.
Earlier, Saarc Secretary General Chenkyab Dorji speaking on the occasion said although the region had made impressive economic growth in the last decade, agriculture growth had been very modest and most often remained stagnant. The contribution of the agriculture to gross domestic product has been steadily decreasing.
The gains of green revolution are gradually being wipe out. Situation is getting further complicated because of deteriorating soil fertility, declining farm-land, shrinking water availability, over-dependence on chemical fertilisers and pesticides coupled with natural disasters such as drought, floods, looming food insecurity at large, Dorji added.
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