Chairman of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry's (FPCCI) Standing Committee on Horticulture and Agricultural, Ahmad Jawad, has demanded of the government to formulate horticulture export policy on the pattern of textile policy and in consultation with all stakeholders. Moreover, government should allocate funds for promoting hybrid seed industry in Pakistan under private-public partnership (PPP), he added.
Unfolding details of the FPCCI's Standing Committee's recommendations to the federal finance ministry for incorporating them in the 2015-16 budget, he told Business Recorder that these include setting up of different projects under private-public partnerships and these include cool chain infrastructure for the horticulture sector, food processing and value addition industry, agro-processing industry and an accredited testing laboratories at horticulture production hubs to ensure availability of good quality produce for exports.
He said that government should also identify new export markets and sign protocols and agreements to remove bottlenecks for enhancing exports, besides a loan scheme for rural youths for promoting agriculture services should be introduced.
He also demanded that funds should be allocated for Crop Insurance Scheme (CIS) for farmers of the areas affected by natural disasters/calamities, wide-spread diseases and unpredictable weather conditions. He also urged the government to allow duty-free import of European refurbished agriculture machinery.
At the outset, Jawad deplored that the country's agricultural sector despite having immense potential lacked efficiency and global competitiveness, besides loss of efficiency was causing a dent in achieving self-sufficiency in various farm products.
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