LAHORE: Terming smuggling of various food items including wheat and wheat related products to Afghanistan as a challenge for the present government, analysts called for taking measures to boost agriculture sector.

Senior journalist Salman Ghani said that Pakistan is an agricultural country and never suffered a crisis in this sector ever before. The new government needs to take certain measures to boost the sector as people of the country have hopes with the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, he said.

At the time, the country is facing the issue of availability of Urea but the incumbent government reiterated the commitment that it would not tolerate unjustified price increase of urea, Salman said, adding: “There is a need to ensure a proper checking and tracking system to overcome shortages of key soil nutrients in the country.”

He further said the provincial governments need to collaborate with the federal government to overcome the issues related to the agriculture sector and boost the industry. It is the responsibility of customs officials on the ground, law enforcement agencies on the border, police, and officials to control the smuggling of wheat to Afghanistan, he said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022