Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan has said that the agro industries are vital for development and growth of their economy.
The prime focus of the government is on high value agriculture including horticulture, livestock and fisheries. Concerted efforts are being made to improve farm level practices and developing linkages of farmers with markets and industry.
The federal minister was addressing “Pakistan Agriculture Conference & Exhibition 2015” and at this occasion Sikandar Bosan said that this would also be an opportunity to discuss and share new technologies, ideas and future pathways for sustainable growth of agro-industry.
The federal minister said that under the existing situation, Pakistan has to make investment for setting up processing industries for commodities like potatoes, chillies and tomatoes to create opportunities for fair returns to farm sector.
The federal minister has stated that agriculture sector has traditionally sustained a satisfactory growth to ensure food security of their growing population however; the major challenge faced had been low returns to farmers for their commodities because of higher costs of production.
This calls for well-thought interventions to improve agri products value addition at the farm levels and industrial linkages. Especially under the existing situation, when the agricultural commodities returns do not commensurate the increasing cost of production, a vibrant industrial sector understanding of these challenges may come forward to support the farm sector.
Bosan has stated that the government was currently focusing to develop mechanisms for minimising cost of production to increase farmers’ interest in agriculture and livestock.
As a policy, the government is committed to provide required infrastructure support to agro-processors with the aim to enhance value addition and job opportunities for growing young population.
Bosan has said that the present government is fully cognizant of the role of rural youth in developing services sector and entrepreneurship for value-added growth of agriculture sector and its relevance to improvement in incomes. The rural youth will be supported in acquiring the new skills for setting agro-based businesses for improving household livelihood.
The minister has stated that it is expected that under the Prime Minister’s Youth Loan Programme, the areas like livestock, horticulture and fisheries as well as non-farm sector would benefit and this would result in overall economic betterment of rural masses and generate raw material for their growing food industries.
Bosan remarked that he would also like to emphasize that there was little direct linkages of various agricultural industries with small scale farmers. This situation demands a paradigm shift in approach of the industrial sector with respect to their relationship with farming community who produce raw material for them.
He further emphasized that the agro-based industries should be set up in major agricultural producing areas. “There is also need that the businesses and industry have to set up formalised contractual arrangements with the farmers for purchase of their commodities and products.” He said the industrial sector should also develop linkages with the agricultural research and development and play a role in transferring technology and knowledge to the farming community.
Bosan expressed that the Pakistan agriculture conference and exhibition would be an opportunity for their visiting farmers to expand their knowledge about new innovations and value addition technologies.