President Asif Ali Zardari has said that food security was critical for peace and stability and the issue needs to be addressed by the international community on priority basis. He said that the maximising yield per acre, optimal use of water and land resources and adequate storage facilities would ensure food security and that calls for a greater international effort.
During meeting with Dr Jacques Diouf, Director General Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO) at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Thursday, the president called upon FAO for setting up early warning systems to mitigate the damages of any natural calamity and to assist the government in drainage of water from the fields in those areas that were hit by the devastating floods.
He urged for strengthening the on-going initiatives on promotion of high efficiency irrigation systems. He said that the agriculture sector which contributes 21% share in national GDP and provides employment to about 45% labour force has suffered huge losses during the recent floods and needs to be accorded priority for not only rehabilitation of the lands, but also to re-engage the huge labour force that lost their livelihood due to the devastating floods.
The DG FAO was accompanied by Daniele Donati, Chief, TCES, FAO Headquarters, Erahardt Johann, Syed Muhammad Ali, Assistant Representative FAO Pakistan and Luilgi Damiani, Senior Emergency & Rehabilitation Co-ordinator FAO. Pak side included Nazar Muhammad Gondal, Minster Food & Agriculture, M. Salman Faruqui, Secretary General to the President, Senator Sughra Imam and other senior officials.
The president said that there was urgent need for establishment of R&D facilities in Pakistan on the impact of climate change on agriculture so that any such situation in the future could be dealt with effectively.
Appreciating FAO's assistance of nearly US $87 million for the Rabi Crop 2010 in the flood affected areas, the president said that the priority of the government was to provide maximum possible assistance to the small farmers out of our own resources and that from foreign assistance to enable them to re-cultivate their lands and compensate their losses.
The president said that the government was encouraging the farmers to sow canola in the flood affected areas by assisting them with seed, inputs and land preparation to make optimal utilisation of the land. He said that he had advised the government to make provision for the free supply of seed to canola growers and has asked ZTBL (Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited) to work out a scheme of providing financial assistance to the farmers of the affected areas. He said that he has advised the government to consider the proposal of giving interest free loan of Rupees ten thousand per acre to the worst hit farmers for a period of ten years. Simultaneously, the farmers have been asked to consider waiving the loans of the haris to enable them return to their homes and rehabilitate the devastated agricultural landscape.
The president also said that establishment of rain water harvesting and water lifting schemes in water deficit areas for increasing agricultural productivity was another area where Pakistan needs assistance of international bodies especially FAO. Dr Jacques Diouf thanked the president for meeting and assured that FAO would continue its operation in the agricultural sector and would continue to assist Pakistan in overcoming the impacts of unprecedented havoc caused by the flood.-PR