QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Malik Baloch has said that the government will now focus on developing agriculture, livestock and fishery sectors to make the province self-sufficient in these sectors and to end backwardness and poverty in the area.

Addressing a meeting of growers and landlords here on Tuesday, Dr Malik declared 2015 the year of growers, cattle farmers and fishermen and said that a convention of experts of these sectors would soon be held in the provincial capital to create awareness about the issue and to invite experts’ opinions and suggestions for rapid development of these sectors in the province.

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He said that all landlords and farmers of the province would be invited to the convention.

He said the province was facing the serious issue of depleting groundwater and farmers needed modern education, techniques and training to grow such their crops and fruits by using less water.

He said that a large portion of population of the province depended on livestock, farm sectors and its allied sectors and the government would take every step to promote agriculture and other sectors and provide guidelines in this connection.

“By acquiring modern training and techniques, we will become self-sufficient in farm production, cattle breeding and meat production and this will help the province and the country to earn foreign exchange by exporting farm products,” the chief minister said.

Malik Baloch meets growers and landlords

He said that a lot of opportunities for investment in these sectors existed in the province and invited the private sector to come to forward and investment in the province to exploit these opportunities.

He said that with the cooperation of Australia, two projects of wool cutting and its qualitative processing and packaging would be started soon in the province.

Dr Malik said the government was doing its best to revive natural pastures and thanked the federal government for offering every help and cooperation for promotion of these sectors in the province.

“Proposals of farmers, cattle breeders and fishermen will be sought to promote agriculture and its related sectors in the province and growers and farmers showing good performance will be given awards,” the chief minister said.

Provincial ministers Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal, Sarfaraz Bugti and provincial assembly member Sardar Dur Muhammad Nasir attended the gathering.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2015

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