Civil society activists and experts expressing serious concern over non existence of a food and agriculture policy in Sindh, said that a comprehensive policy document is required which may address all agricultural issues. This was stated in a meeting arranged by Society for Environmental Actions, Reconstruction and Humanitarian response (SEARCH) in collaboration with Action Aid Pakistan, Sindh Hari Porhiyat Council (SHPC), and We Journalist under People's Network on Food and Agriculture (PNFA) here on Tuesday.
"Around 60% of Pakistan's total population is facing food insecurity while Sindh appeared as the poorest and food deprived province, because 72 percent of the sample households were found to be food insecure," Manager Grow, OXFAM Shahbaz Bukhari, maintained quoting National Nutrition Survey of Pakistan 2011.
President Sindh Hari Porhiyat Council (SHPC), Punhal Sario, said 63 percent populace of Sindh was still attached, directly and indirectly, with agricultural activities but economic system, water management issues, infrastructure, societal power structure and governance issues have played havoc in rural areas of Sindh.
Regional Manager Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO) Mustafa Baloch emphasised that Sindh requires a comprehensive policy document which may address all agricultural issues and may propose rational, progressive, scientific and humanitarian policy recommendations to overcome issues and create legal basis for development of agriculture and empowerment of peasants.
Agriculture Officer and Focal Person to Director General Agriculture Extension Sindh, Lalchand, informed that per acre yield of crops has remained stagnant since 1999, while the population has increased by about 30 million, which is considered a major reason for the growing food insecurity where more than 71 per cent of the population is estimated to be food insecure while 17 per cent of them are categorised to be experiencing "severe hunger."
Professor Muhammad Ismail Kumbhar of Sindh Agriculture University (SAU) Tando Jam said "If we see from the context of climate change and soil fertility/ quality Sindh is affected by climate change resulting rapid depletion of fertility of organic materials and soil is becoming saline, especially after floods of 2010, 2011 and 2012 in Sindh thousands of hectares have been affected while no serious step had been taken in this regard. After the Sindh Tenancy Act (1950) there has been no legal document on agriculture which may create a basis for scientific agricultural reforms and also which may ensure or protect peasants' rights, he added.
Regional Manager HANDS Razzaq Umrani, said in our country's governments relied on large landowners to achieve agricultural growth rather than paying due attention to helping poorer subsistence farmers. Poor sharecroppers are finding it difficult to remain engaged in agricultural production in order to grow enough food for their own families, he added.
Project Co-ordinator FAO Ashraf Ali, said that in order to improve malnutrition situation the government and donor agencies should shift their attention towards promotion of food crops, providing rural poor greater access to land and required support services to help them become sustainable farmers.
Executive Director SEARCH Waheed Jamali called for collective efforts to resolve the issue and said that Peoples Network on Food and Agriculture (PNFA) was aimed at advocating for introduction of a sustainable agriculture policy for Sindh, providing people right to food and bringing agrarian reforms.