LAHORE: Unfortunately, in the past, no long-term policy has been formulated for increasing production and value addition through innovation, modern research and technology in agriculture, due to which we have lagged behind the world in the agricultural sector.
It is necessary to formulate a long term policy with clear goals to address the challenges of the agricultural sector to increase exports.
Caretaker Provincial Minister for Agriculture, Industry and Energy SM Tanvir said this while presiding over the meeting held to finalize the Punjab Agriculture Strategic Plan (2022-33) in the Planning and Development Board, Lahore. Chairman Planning and Development Board and Secretary Agriculture Punjab Iftikhar Ali Sahoo, Secretary Agriculture South Punjab Saqib Ali Ateel, Additional Secretary Agriculture Task Force, Punjab Muhammad Shabir Ahmad Khan, Vice Chancellor, Agriculture University, Faisalabad Rana Iqrar Ahmed Khan, Director General Agriculture Extension Dr. Ishtiaq Hassan, Director General Agriculture Field Ahmed Sohail, Chief Executive PARAB Dr Abid Mehmood, Member Agriculture Planning Javed Aslam, Consultant Agriculture Extension Department Dr Muhammad Anjum Ali, and other senior officers, progressive farmers and stakeholders participated. While Head of Land Information and Management System Major General Shahid Nazir and other officers participated through video link.
Briefing the participants on this occasion, the Vice Chancellor Agricultural University Faisalabad said that crops are being cultivated on 26.26 million acres of land in Punjab province while total 90 million acre feet water is available, out of which 37 million acre feet of water is wasted due to canal system, drains and unevenness of the land and 53 million acre feet of water is available for irrigation while the requirements of our crops are 65 million acre feet.
In addition, to increase the production of important crops like cotton, wheat, corn, sugarcane and paddy, the discovery of new varieties with higher productivity by bearing the harmful effects of climate change is an important need of the hour, for which research and development will have to be strengthened. Apart from this, agro-ecological zoning is also needed to increase agricultural production.
By increasing the cultivated area of fruits, vegetables and high value agriculture and their value addition, a lot of foreign exchange can be earned.
On this occasion, SM Tanvir said that the government of Punjab has given all stakeholders an opportunity to share their experience for formulation of a long-term policy which will be effectively monitored in future and all our programs will be organized according to the same guidelines.
Apart from this, any development project will be framed in its light and linkages with various projects will also be under the same long-term policy to achieve the production targets of important crops and fruits.
On the occasion, Head of Land Information and Management System Major General Shahid Nazir said that the current government is trying to increase agricultural production through modern technology. Cultivable land is being digitized.
Steps are being taken to get more per acre production with the help of modern technology on model farms. On this occasion, Secretary Agriculture, Punjab Iftikhar Ali Sahoo, has said that today all stakeholders gathered under one roof and in the light of the experiences of these experts, a ten-year long-term policy recommendations will be formulated to draft a comprehensive agricultural policy that will increase our per acre production and agricultural exports.
Farmers will be ensured fair compensation for their labour and foreign exchange for the country will also be earned by exporting surplus produce. Iftikhar Ali Sahoo constituted 12 working groups to finalize the next ten-year agriculture plan.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023