LAHORE: The two-day Dawn Pakistan Food & Agri Expo of 2017 concluded here at the International Expo Centre with the participation of over 40 local and international companies and thousands of visitors associated with agriculture, livestock and aquaculture.

Exhibitors displayed latest products like agriculture and livestock implements, seeds and fertilizers.

A good number of business deals were also struck between the two sides during the two-day exhibition.

“I’ve come to the exhibition to check agriculture implements like harvesters and cutters for crops of wheat, paddy and vegetables I grow usually,” said Muhammad Tariq, of Kasur, who was on a second visit to Dawn’s exhibition.

Maqbool, another farmer, said the trend of such exhibitions provided an opportunity to farmers to know about new technologies in agriculture and that such platforms are hardly available for information of small farmers.

“I’m here to seek information about crops and seeds and usage of new machines for cultivation. I’ve visited four stalls and taken interest in silage programme of the Punjab government,” said Saleem Haider from Okara. Saleem grows potato and wheat at his land.

He said the silage introduced on commercial basis was bit costly than traditional fodder.

He said the yearly exhibitions were of great benefits for farmers who can avail any facility under one umbrella.

“We’ve received serious business customers and are expecting our technology to be growing in Pakistan,” said the representative of Cattlekit, a Turkish company which manufactures milking machines, silage row maize chopper, maize chopper, TMR wagons and others.

Side by side, at the technical session titled Kissan Package - a farmers’ perspective, Kissan Ittehad Pakistan president Khalid Kohkhar said Kissan packages announced by the federal and Punjab governments had failed to provide any relief to farmers.

“The farmers had to pay Rs425 per bag GST on a DAP bag against official subsidy of Rs300 per bag and Rs400 per bag under GIDC and Rs83 GST against subsidy of Rs156 per bag which means the government is receiving Rs320 from farmers.”

He demanded that the government give level-playing field to farmers and announce support prices for all major crops like the Indian government gives on 26 crops.

Mr Khokhar also urged the government to withdraw duty free import of cotton earlier announced till June 30, 2018 saying the duty free import of cotton would get the cotton rates down in Pakistan at the cost of farmers’ income.

He underlined the need to transfer research and extension wings of the Punjab Agriculture Department to the University of Faisalabad to improve agriculture productivity.

Mr Khokhar demanded the withdrawal of GST on fertilizers and Rs400 per kg GIDC on urea.

Dr Elizabeth Peterson, while delivering her note on policy reforms to remove constraints to pulses production in Pakistan, said as pulses contributed to food security, their productivity could be improved with tax reform, investment in infrastructure, research, development, extension and diversion of sources of pulses imports.

University of Agriculture Faisalabad Vice-Chancellor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan, who spoke on nurturing and enabling environment for agriculture development, said despite surplus wheat and sugar in the country, the majority of population was malnourished. He said genetic intervention for crops, revamping of inefficient marketing channels and rehabilitation of irrigation system were a few solutions to nurture an enabling environment for agriculture development.

Agriculture Secretary Muhammad Mahmood spoke on smart agriculture - the future, Ersin Turkmen on modernisation of farming, Dr Ahsan Mir of the ETI-IFAD on trade from mountain to market, Usman Anwar of the MDF on stimulating delivery of appropriate inputs for small farmers, Ahmad Sajjad of the DRDF on the role of livestock & dairy in revitalisation of rural economy of Pakistan, Dr Mubashra Mukadas of USAID on agricultural value chain development in Pakistan and Dr Zaheer Ahmad of Engro Fertilizers on farmers capacity building for best crop management.

Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2017