ISLAMABAD: Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhr Imam announced on Monday that the government would provide subsidy to cotton growers on seed, pesticide and fertilisers.

Speaking at a seminar on the impact of climate change on agriculture, Mr Imam said that his ministry has worked on seed traceability, germination, capacity of production, and purity of seed to facilitate the farmers to recover from the current seed shortage.

He added that a minimum support price will also be announced to encourage the farming community to bring the maximum land under cotton production. The minister said that Pakistan has started working with China as well for the exchange of information for research regarding agriculture technology and genetic engineering. Applied research is vital to facilitate farmers pointing out that rain and precipitation promote pests and diseases among crops, he said.

Mr Imam further spoke about wheat, cotton and sugarcane among other crops and how Pakistan needs to start value-addition of its crops, and stated that Pakistan is one of the few countries which have been affected by climate change. Because of climatic change, seed technology and genetic engineering is of the utmost importance so as to adapt to the changing climate and water scarcity, he said.

The minister applauded the scientists at work for the betterment of the agricultural sector and said that the agricultural sector in Pakistan will start seeing better days with the help of research and the governments support.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2021