ISLAMABAD – The legislators in the lower house Tuesday underlined the need to take immediate steps to ensure food security by providing various incentives to the farming community.
MNA Nighat Parveen Mir moved a motion and asked the house to discuss the steps being taken by the government to improve agriculture in the country. She stressed the need to adopt a more encompassing approach in finding solutions to the problems being faced by farmers. She suggested that small farmers should be given interest-free loans besides ensuring easy availability of quality seeds to them for better production.
MNA Rana Tanveer said the common man was suffering due to price hike and unemployment, but pointed out that the problems were the result of global financial crunch. He, however, was of the view that as compared to other countries, Pakistan was the least affected by global phenomenon. “Despite being an agrarian society, we are facing food security issue,” he remarked, calling for strict measures to eliminate black marketing, supply of quality seeds and adulteration-free pesticides to farmers.
He said improvement in the agriculture sector would also leave a positive impact on industrial and other sectors. Osman Tariq suggested improvement in canal system to save maximum water from wastage. Saud Aziz said the government should introduce drip irrigation system besides constructing new dams to store water.
Mir Munawar Talpur said the government, after coming to power, had taken various steps for the welfare of farmers. He said small farmers, particularly in Sindh, were suffering a lot due to decades-old loans and suggested that these should be written off to provide them with relief.
