Provincial Minister for Agriculture Syed Ali Nawaz Shah said on Friday that agriculture is the backbone of the country's economy and the present government is giving greater attention to resolve the grievances of the farmers. He further said that measures were being taken on priority to provide more facilities to the farmers.
He was speaking at the inauguration ceremony of 44th Annual National Mango and Summer Fruits Festival Mirpurkhas here at Sindh Horticulture Research Institute. Earlier the Minister inaugurated the festival by cutting the red ribbon in the Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Mango Exhibition Hall and examined the various stalls displaying the varieties of mangoes and summer fruits.
He said that this Mango Exhibition has become a national exhibition and is being held in Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Mango Exhibition Hall. Ali Nawaz Shah said that facilities including fertilisers, tractor and irrigation water as well as agricultural loan were being provided to the farmers to increase per acre yield and strengthening the country's economy.
He said that the mango of Mirpurkhas is very famous in the world and has a finer taste than that of other areas. He further said Export Promotion Zones (EPZs) were being established in each district to enable the farmers to export high quality mangoes to other countries.
The Sindh Agriculture Minister said that he has examined many stalls in the exhibition and added that 25 to 30 percent fruits of our country are wasted due to lack of facilities. He further said more facilities have been proposed in the forthcoming budget while 3000 youths were being provided training in agriculture sector and would soon go abroad for further training.
District Nazim Mirpurkhas Dr Sughra Junejo said that the government is responsible for providing facilities to transport the crops and agricultural production of the farmers and landlords to national and international markets and help the national exchequer become stronger.
She said that government should take measures to support the farmers in export of their produces including mangoes. DCO Mirpurkhas Ghulam Hussain Memon said that more than 500 gardeners and owners of mango orchards have from across Sindh are participating in the festival and added that for recreation of women, Meena Bazar as well as sports activities have been organised during this three-day exhibition.
Chairman Organising Committee Anwer Gondal and Director Sindh Horticulture Research Institute Mirpurkhas Dr Atta Hussain Soomro gave a briefing about the mango exhibition and other events. They also thanked of the farmers and owners of mango orchards for taking part in this national mango exhibition. On the occasion, Sindh Secretary Agriculture, DCO Mirpurkhas, DPO Muneer Ahmed Shaikh, District Naib Nazim Dr Zafar Ahmed Kamali, Taluka Nazim Mirpurkhas Ghulam Dastageer Kamali and district officers were also present.