FAISALABAD: Provincial Minister for Agriculture, Energy, Industries, Commerce, Investment and Skill Development SM Tanveer has said that sustainable agricultural development is the top priority of the government.
The citrus exports have decreased from 210 million dollars to 100 million dollars, for which a citrus action plan committee is being constituted that will be led by University of Agriculture Faisalabad Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan to address the citrus challenges. The committee will present recommendations in 20 days.
He presided over a meeting on citrus at the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. Provincial Minister for Housing and Development Syed Azfar Ali Nasir, Secretary Agriculture Punjab Iftikhar Ali Sahu, University of Agriculture Faisalabad Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan, MNS Agriculture University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Asif Ali, heads from agriculture department, University dean and directors attended the meeting.
Provincial Agriculture Minister SM Tanveer said that like the citrus, development action plans will be devised for edible oil, soybean, wheat, rice and other commodities. He said that being an agricultural country, prosperity and poverty alleviation was directly linked with the sector. He said that agricultural experts, academia, industry and policy makers have to make joint efforts to achieve food security. He said that despite being an agricultural country, we have to import billions of rupees worth of edible oil every year, for which agricultural scientists have to come up with viable solutions.
He said that our agricultural institutions are making great efforts to meet the agricultural needs of the ever-growing population. He said that Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan had made research and recommendations in 1992 keeping in view the problem of decline in citrus production, but the policy makers did not act on it seriously.
He said that the present government is making all out efforts to develop agriculture on scientific basis.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023