This is apropos a Business Recorder op-ed “Agriculture — the weakest link” carried by the newspaper on Sunday. The writer, Ali Khizar, has presented a highly informed opinion on the state of agriculture in Pakistan. He has concluded his article by saying, among other things, that “the situation is now spiraling out of control as the country is fast turning into a net agriculture importer.” We have been importing wheat and sugar in very large quantities, spending a lot of precious foreign exchange. That ours is not an agri-based economy for a very long time is a fact; nor is it a manufacturing economy. The question therefore is: Are we making transition from agriculture to manufacturing-based economy? I don’t think so. Moreover, it is important to analyse the state of agriculture in the context of the Covid-19 challenge as the devastating impacts of the pandemic are also being felt by the food and agriculture sector. Agriculture sector, therefore, deserves more attention than ever before. Unfortunately, however, federal and provincial governments have done little or nothing in this regard.

MUBASHAR RAHMAN (PESHAWAR)

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021