FAISALABAD, Feb 2: Agriculture scientists and economists have urged the government to reduce tariffs and duties under the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) to enable the farm sector meet World Trade Organization (WTO) challenges.

At a workshop: “WTO and its implications on agriculture in Pakistan”, organized by the University of Agriculture and Sungi Development Foundation, an NGO, here on Saturday, experts said the government should reform and build an atmosphere conducive to enhancing competitiveness.

Addressing participants, UAF Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Riaz Hussain Qureshi said that WTO had emerged as one of the most powerful institutions along with the World Bank and the IMF.

He said the WTO agreements were aimed at boosting farm trade through substantial reduction in protectionism in the member countries, which would generate cross economy effects in terms of exchange rate adjustment, prosperity and question of survival amongst different communities of people within countries and across the globe.