| 9 April 2005 | Saturday | 29 Safar 1426 |
Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)
Arab freedom report
Poor maternal & child care
THE forecast that growth in the agriculture sector this year would be five per cent as against the targeted four per cent is encouraging. This sector forms the backbone of Pakistan’s economy, with cotton and cotton-related products accounting for over 60 per cent of the country’s exports. The higher growth rate comes as a result of a bumper crop in cotton with over 15 million bales and in wheat which is expected to be 22 million tons. The government’s agriculture package, which gave various incentives to farmers in the form of cheaper credit and higher support prices, also helped achieve these results. One hopes that the good performance of the agriculture sector will translate into better incomes for farmers and thus more prosperity in the rural hinterland. The government must now work towards ensuring that this trend continues in the coming years. Otherwise, a short spell of good agriculture performance will do little to address the issue of self-sufficiency in our major crops and a visible reduction in the incidence of poverty.
Agriculture experts say that despite this impressive performance, the yield per acre of cotton, as well as of other major crops, remains well below its potential. A comparison with crops grown in some other countries with similar farming conditions confirms this. For example, in East Punjab yield per acre is much higher than what it is in our part of Punjab. One of the reasons for this is the intensive farming practices adopted there by farmers as a result of small land-holdings. In comparison, land holdings in Pakistan Punjab are much larger and it is here that inefficiencies come into the equation. There are differences in the mode of cultivation, the level of mechanization and the farm management system that ensures high productivity. The quality of fertilizer and pesticides also affects crop yield significantly. There should be strict monitoring of these two inputs so that the quality as well as correct the use of these can be ensured.
With Pakistan aiming at raising overall exports to about $20 billion worth in the next four years and textile exports to $14 billion from the current seven billion dollars, the demand for cotton is bound to increase. Since this rise in demand is to be met through local production, the economy will benefit as a whole. Introducing high-yield, pest-resistant and soil friendly crops for local farmers need to be encouraged. This is an area which has been sorely neglected with the result that the quality and output of crops harvested each year has been erratic. The introduction of new varieties or improved versions of various crops has been conspicuous by their absence in the past few years despite the fact that these are essential for the country to sustain or boost agriculture production. At the same time, the government has to ensure adequate supply of water, which is the most important input in the sector. The State Bank of Pakistan is of the view that the agriculture sector is witnessing a turnaround under which more investment will be made in agriculture mechanization and production. This needs to be followed with the government addressing problems that relate to yield, inputs and crop variety. A combination of these alone will help the sector maintain its growth in the coming years.
THERE seems to be a greater realization among Arab intellectuals about the need for democracy in their countries. The observations made in the Arab Human Development report, prepared by a group of Arab intellectuals working for the UN, focus on the state of freedom in the Arab world and criticize Arab governments for “centralizing” all power. This is the third report of this nature, the first two being released in 2002 and 2003. The latest report, published on Tuesday, does take into account Israeli and American policies which have contributed in no small measure to a continuation of the political status quo in the Arab countries. But the thrust of the report is on the Arab leaders’ failure to liberalize. The report terms most Arab countries “intelligence states” which have turned the Arab world into “a black hole”.
There is no doubt Israel’s wars on its Arab neighbours and the continued occupation of Palestine have given the Arab leaders and peoples a psyche which seldom finds time for self-scrutiny. But even in countries which have established diplomatic and trade relations with Tel Aviv, leaders maintain an absolute grip on power. Thus, one finds little difference — so far as freedom is concerned — between Egypt and Jordan on the one hand and Syria on the other. Even Arab states which have not waged a war against Israel — the Gulf states and those in the Maghreb — are either monarchies or party dictatorships. In some Arab states, there are no elections at all. In others, presidents are elected with 99 per cent “yes” votes in manipulated referenda. Most unfortunately, in spite of oil wealth, the Arab governments have failed to industrialize their countries. This has militated against the growth of a powerful middle class. This is a phenomenon which is not unwelcome to Arab leaders, for a politically-conscious middle class would fight for democracy and thus threaten dynasties and family dictatorships. The report warns that unless Arab states reform quickly, there could be civil strife or changes forced from the outside. Strangely enough, the Palestinians are politically the most conscious of Arab peoples. Yet the pressure which the US has put on the Palestinian Authority for political reform is totally absent in the case of other Arab countries which are far more corrupt and totalitarian but happen to be on America’s right side.
THE theme of ‘Make every mother and child count’ observed on this year’s World Health Day should be heeded by the authorities in Pakistan where statistics pertaining to maternal and infant mortality are alarmingly high. The UN has given the figure of maternal mortality as 500 per 100,000 live births and for children under one as 83 per 1,000 live births. This reflects poorly on the country’s health services — especially in the rural areas where basic medical facilities catering to the bulk of the population have been in a state of dereliction for a long time now. That the government has chosen not to prioritize health issues is borne out by the fact that a mere three per cent of its budget is reserved for this sector. And given the gender bias that prevails in the country, it follows that the worst sufferers are women, more specifically mothers — and, by extension, their children.
Deprived of proper nutrition during pregnancy and attended to by unskilled dais at the time of birth, it is not surprising that thousands of women die during childbirth each year as a result of totally avoidable complications. Meanwhile, poor conditions of nutrition and hygiene and the haphazard implementation of the EPI (Expanded Programme of Immunization) are chiefly responsible for the high mortality rate among infants. What is truly worrying is that despite the advance of modern medicine as seen in many developing countries, there has been no corresponding improvement in the situation in Pakistan. If the infant mortality rate is 83 today, it was only somewhat higher at 120 more than three decades ago. This state of affairs is unacceptable and should remind the government that greater attention and efforts are required on its part to make progress on the millennium development goals of bringing down the child mortality rate and improving maternal health.