The business community while expressing serious concern over food security urged the government to review its agriculture policy and prepare long-term plans to meet food requirements of the country. Food security is a common concern, therefore it is imperative to take the issue seriously, said Mahfooz Elahi, President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) while addressing the business community, here on Friday.
The average crops yield in Pakistan has been stagnant for the last 10 years while the population has increased significantly, widening the gap between demand and supply of essential food items, increasing the agriculture produce manifold, there is a need for the genetic improvement and development of new varieties and proper management of water resources to increase yield per acre, he said.
He urged the government to take some solid measures to end the water crisis and provide maximum credit and inputs to the farmers that would lead to rapid development in agriculture sector and would help ensure food security at all levels. The president ICCI said that Pakistan has received the highest grant of more than Euro 50 million for improving food security in rural areas on sustainable basis. Government should invest in agriculture research projects if it is serious about ensuring food security in the country, he opinioned.
He was reacting to the reports that 80 of 131 districts in Pakistan facing food shortages. He stressed the need for co-ordinated efforts among the federal and provincial research institutions including universities and national agriculture research system for enhancing yield in the country.
Elahi was of the view that Pakistan was facing water shortages because no big dam and water reservoir had been built by the successive governments for the last three decades. More availability of water through dams would ensure food security, he maintained. To mitigate the impact of food inaccessibility to poor and vulnerable segments of the society, government should mobilise the indigenous resources and control the soaring prices of essential food items aimed at ensuring food security, the president ICCI emphasised. He further said that the climate change has emerged as a serious challenge to sustainability of agricultural production and without addressing the issue, ensuring food security would remain inaccessible.
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