HYDERABAD: The President of Hyderabad Chamber of Small Traders & Small Industry (HCSTSI), Muhammad Saleem Memon, emphasised the urgent need for reforms in Pakistan’s agricultural sector.
He has written letters to both Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, urging the formulation of a 25-year comprehensive agricultural policy.
This proposed policy aims to address the impacts of climate change and promote strategic crop planning to ensure sustainable agricultural development.
In his statement, President Saleem Memon highlighted the critical role of agriculture in Pakistan’s economy, contributing 20% to the GDP and providing livelihoods for 40% of the population. However, he pointed out that the sector faces numerous challenges and ignoring these issues could lead to further economic losses.
He identified water scarcity and climate change as the biggest threats to Pakistan’s agriculture. Despite the existence of the Indus Basin system, over 40% of water is wasted due to inadequate infrastructure and inefficient practices. This, coupled with erratic rainfall patterns, declining soil fertility, and rising temperatures, has severely impacted agricultural productivity. He noted that Pakistani farmers face a significant lack of access to modern technology, such as drip and sprinkler irrigation systems, which are crucial for water conservation. Additionally, around 30-40% of fruits and vegetables go to waste annually due to the absence of value-added processing facilities.
The HCSTSI president proposed several key reforms to revitalize the agricultural sector. He stressed the importance of training farmers to adopt water-efficient crop cultivation and modern irrigation techniques. Furthermore, he called for the promotion of advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) in agriculture, with government subsidies to facilitate adoption.
He underscored the need to focus on value-added products, such as packaged vegetables, organic goods, fruit juices and dairy items like cheese and butter. This, he said, would not only reduce wastage but also enhance Pakistan’s presence in global markets.
The dairy and livestock sectors, according to Chamber President Saleem Memon, require modernization through global best practices and the production of export-quality value-added products. Developing these sectors could open up significant opportunities for Pakistan in international trade.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024