Agri growth linked to water resources conservation
By Our Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD, Sept 23: Pakistan can achieve a sustainable growth rate of over six per cent in agriculture sector up to 2020 by exploiting the potential of all sub-sectors of agriculture
, diversification towards high-value crops and conservation of water resources.
This was the crux of a presentation made by a team of economists at the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (Pide) during a meeting presided over by Minister for Science & Technology Chaudhry Nouraiz Shakoor Khan.
The presentation was also attended by Sindh Food and Agriculture Minister Arif Mustafa Jatoi, NWFP Agriculture Minister Qari Mehmood, Secretary Science & Technology Kh Zaheer Ahmad and officials from the country's leading research and development organizations.
The presentation by the Pide was in response to a cabinet decision, asking the Ministry of Science and Technology to prepare a national vision for enhancing the GDP growth rate in various sectors of the economy by using technology.
The minister appreciated Pide's recommendations and called for enhanced coordination among different bodies and ministries for preparation of a national vision to strengthen the agriculture sector. He also urged the professionals involved in the effort to suggest their recommendation keeping in view the crop patterns being followed in the country.
Ch Nouraiz admitted that while the agriculture sector was being accorded considerable importance, the growth in the sector had not been up to its potential in recent years.
He said: "By improving the technology, the potential for growth in this sector is quite high." Earlier, during the presentation given by Pide's Dr Mohammad Iqbal, the minister was told that some of the major problems plaguing the country's agriculture system included a low yield/wide unachieved potential, weak national agricultural research system, degradation of land resources/nutrient mining and salinity, inefficient use of water/poor quality water and low milk and meat yields per animal, high post-harvest losses, lack of a proper quality control system for agriculture, low utilization of emerging scientific technologies, low value addition in agro processing, low exploitation of potential of inland fisheries, poor marketing system, high cost of inputs and agriculture machinery and compliance with WTO requirements.
Owing to gaps in science, research and extension area, agriculture yield was far below the potential and, over the years, this gap between the actual/average yield and the potential had soared to 62-87 per cent, Dr Iqbal said.
He called for strengthening agricultural extension system, improving seed production and distribution system, developing and commercializing hybrid seeds varieties, enhancing access to institutional credit and developing technologies for organic food production.
