WITH countries in the Middle East, like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, playing host to a large number of tourists, and, thus, having enhanced food consumption, Pakistan can try to grab a share in the export market as most countries in the region do not have enough local food production.

Pakistan has been blessed with fertile lands, good weather and sufficient water to help grow a variety of crops. Using outdated tools and low-quality seeds, however, has limited our farm production. The government can ask countries in the Middle East to loan money for purchasing new agriculture equipment for our farmers. A simple scheme of installing drip irrigation pipes, which can be used for 20 years, can easily double the production of a farm. The farmer can pay for the equipment through increased earnings. A similar strategy can also be used for the food processing industry.

Shahryar Khan
Peshawar

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2021