Food security could become one of the biggest challenges in near future therefore the government should review the agriculture sector related policies without any delay. Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) President Sheikh Muhammad Arshad stated this while talking to Business Recorder. "If steps are not taken on war footing, food security would shatter the economic structure as country would be compelled to spend billions dollars on imports to feed its huge population," he said. "If we stayed where we are today in terms of cropped area and yield per hectare, we will have 30 percent less food available per capita in next two decades," he added.
He said though Pakistan's almost 43 percent labour force was dependent upon agriculture, the yield gap in the four major crops of Pakistan was three times from the best producers in the world such as China and Egypt. "The low yield has contributed to the poverty in rural areas besides forcing country to import agriculture produces to feed its population," he maintained.
The fact should be an eye opener that China produces two times more cotton and wheat per hectare and Egypt produces around three times more rice and sugarcane per hectare as compared to Pakistan, he said. "Factors that are recommended to improve the yield are through large scale introduction of hybrid seeds and mechanized farming, efficient irrigation systems such as drip irrigation and reduction in wastage of crop through introduction of privately owned storage facilities and cold storage facilities," he said.
He said that 21st century belongs to Biotechnology and Pakistan has tremendous potential to emerge as Biotechnology leader but to achieve the goal private sector, scientists, researchers and government would have to work hand in hand.
Pakistan's agriculture sector is losing heavily due to insufficient utilization of biotechnology as the magic progress of agriculture sector is only due to genetically modified crops. The agriculture sector in Pakistan has a huge potential as it continues to be the single largest and dominant driving force for growth as well as the main source of livelihood for 66 percent of Pakistan's population. But it has always faced two major problems: first, productions per acre are lower than many countries. Secondly, around 40 percent of production is wasted in the form of post-harvest losses due to insufficient utilization of biotechnology, he added.
The LCCI President said that federal and provincial governments should give a special focus on promotion of research and quality crops because green revolution is only possible through genetic engineering. Pakistan would have to focus on genetically modified and hybrid crops to tap true potential of agricultural productivity in the country.
While stressing the need for establishment of institutes both at provincial and federal levels for creating awareness among the farming community about genetically modified technology, he said that sustainability and improvement in crops yield are the major challenges to meet upcoming threats of increasing population and depleting water resources.
"Biotechnology has shown considerable potential to raise agricultural productivity by addressing problems not solved through conventional research. Among other application of biotechnology, development of genetically modified organisms is the promising tool to facilitate plant breeding in development of crops to insect and tolerant to herbicide," the LCCI chief added.
He said genetic modified crops had contributed to sustainable development in several significant ways including: contributing to food security and more affordable food, conserving biodiversity, alleviation of poverty and hunger, mitigating climate change and reducing greenhouses gases, contributing to the cost-effective production of biofuels and above all by contributing to sustainable economic benefits. The LCCI President urged the government to patronize scientists working for the technology promotion and its upgradation in the country.
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