ISLAMABAD: Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser said that agriculture was the backbone of our economy and steps should be taken to develop agriculture and solve the problems facing farmers.

The speaker Tuesday chaired a meeting to discuss the prospective shortage of wheat in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and attack of locust in various parts of the country.

The meeting was attended by provincial food ministers of the Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Aleem Khan and Qalander Lodhi, respectively, besides provincial secretaries Food Departments and senior member Board of Revenue KP.

The speaker said that the present government was committed to achieving food autarky in the country. He stressed on the provincial governments to take steps to modernize agriculture sector.

He informed that a special parliamentary committee on agricultural products for agricultural development had been formed. He said that provincial governments were welcome to suggest parliamentary committee to formulate integrated policy for agriculture sector development.

The Minister Food KP apprised that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's wheat production was less than it needed. He informed that farmers in the province were being encouraged to grow wheat crop to achieve self-sufficiency.

He said that till it was achieved KP was left with only option to buy required wheat from Punjab to meet its food requirements. The speaker said that steps should be taken to ensure adequate supply of wheat to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

He directed for completing wheat procurement targets in the province in time. Minister for Food Punjab assured that Punjab would fully cooperate in meeting the wheat requirement in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

He said that Punjab was ready to supply its extra wheat to small provinces. Punjab Food Minister informed that Punjab had abundant reserves of wheat and there was no danger of shortage of wheat. He assured that wheat supply to all provinces would be ensured as per requirements.