HYDERABAD, June 9: The minister of state for food, agriculture, and livestock, Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan, has said the government is giving priority to the development of the agriculture sector.

He was presiding over a discussion on “Agriculture”, arranged by the Sindh Abadgar Board, at the Gymkhana Club here on Monday.

The minister said the agriculture sector was playing a major role in the development of the country as it contributed 25 per cent to the gross national product.

He said the thrust of the agriculture policy was to increase per acre yield, especially of cash crops, and exports of quality products.

He informed the participants that wheat, rice and cotton were being exported. He said average growth rate of agriculture was four per cent.

Mr Bosan said the biggest problem confronting the agriculture sector was the transfer of technology, adding that a farmer who used the latest technology obtained 50 to 60 per cent more yield than the one who did not use the same. He urged growers to use modern technology to increase their yield.

He said China’s help had been sought in hybrid rice seed production which would have a good affect on quality and quantity of rice produce.

He said a survey had revealed that 92 per cent farmers possessed less than 12 acres of land, 5.5 per cent owned between 12 to 25 acres and 2.5 per cent farmers owned more than 50 acres.

The minister expressed dissatisfaction over the performance of the extension department.

He said the government was paying special attention to cotton crop and had launched clean quality programme to improve the quality of cotton so that it could be exported. He said minimum price of cotton had been fixed at Rs850 per 40 kilograms and gave an assurance that the price would be raised this year.

He said the government had also introduced integrated pest management programme and it was for the first time that a laboratory had been set up in Karachi to check the quality of pesticides. He warned that import or sale of substandard pesticides and other agriculture inputs would not be tolerated. He hinted at reducing prices of fertilizers.

The minister observed that the federal budget envisaged a post harvest programme for storage of agriculture produce. He said a marketing system was also being evolved and the marketing policy would be made public within a couple of months.

He stressed the need for better water management and lining of watercourses.

Mr Bosan called upon journalists to help in identifying bank managers demanding commission for sanctioning loans.

A large number of growers took part in the discussion and highlighted problems of growers, including acute shortage of water, absence of incentives to farmers, corruption in the irrigation department, low prices of crops and high prices of agriculture inputs.