LCCI holds seminar on 'high value agriculture': need stressed for reforms in agriculture sector

Speakers at a seminar called for introducing reforms in the agriculture sector to bring much-needed surge in per acre yield of different crops. The Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) organised a seminar on "High Value Agriculture" here at the Chamber on Wednesday. The LCCI President Malik Tahir Javaid, CEO Yuksel Seeds, Aqub Yuksel, Convener LCCI Standing Committee on Mechanized and High Value Agriculture Mian Shafqat Ali, ex-vice Chancellor Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi Dr Rai Niaz Ahmed, Dr Khawaja Asif, Mian Shaukat Ali, Faisal Iqbal Sheikh and Naeem Hanif also spoke on the occasion.
The speakers maintained that there is a dire need for reforms in agriculture sector and addition in cropped area as we cannot afford to stay where we are today in terms of cropped areas and per hectare yield because we are already running well short of per capita food availability.
They said that yield gap in the four major crops of Pakistan is three-time from the best producers in the world such as China and Egypt. Low yield has contributed to the poverty in rural areas besides forcing country to import agriculture produces to feed its population, they added.
Speaking on the occasion, the LCCI President Malik Tahir Javaid said that the agriculture sector of Pakistan continues to be the single largest and dominant driving force for growth which contributes almost 19.5 percent in GDP. This sector is the main source of livelihood for 42.3 percent of total labour force despite this fact that agriculture mechanization in Pakistan is very limited, he said, adding: "Area under cultivation for important crops account for 23.85 percent of the value-added in overall agriculture. Wheat accounts for 9.6 percent of the total value-added in agriculture and cotton production was 10.67 million bales." For the sake of increasing the share of agriculture sector in GDP, the present area of cultivation has to be increased on war-footing basis, he insisted.
Malik Tahir Javaid said that due to lack of technology usage in agriculture sector, we face the problem of crops yields gaps. The average yields production in the agriculture sector of Pakistan is far below the level of those countries that use the technology in their agriculture sector, he said. According to him, the level of yields of different crops is 50 percent to 83 percent lower than the average of other countries of the world. Prospects of Pakistan's economic prosperity heavily depend on the performance of agriculture sector.
He said the government is giving subsidy to farmers at various stages for purchasing fertilizers, pesticides, seeds and selling their output at support prices, but still this sector has not succeeded in enhancing the level of productivity, which must be evaluated. Mian Shaukat Ali said on the occasion that all chambers of Pakistan should pay attention to agriculture so that they can contribute in development of this sector.