Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research (NFS&R) Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan said that efforts would be made to make the upcoming budget for fiscal year 2015-16 as farmer-friendly.
“The upcoming budget will introduce measures for the development of farmer community to ensure sustainable development of agriculture sector,” Bosan said while speaking at the Mango Export awareness Seminar and Banana Tissue Culture Plants Distribution ceremony at Hyderabad.
The moot was organised by the Department of Plant Protection (DPP) PARC in collaboration with All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association.
The minister urged the people to choose only those representatives who could raise their voice and highlight the issues of agriculture and attract the attention of policy-makers towards development of this important sector.
Acknowledging the importance of taking research results to the end users, Bosan urged the scientists to work towards this goal to witness the benefit of their efforts.
The federal minister said that after the 18th amendment, each province was provided sufficient funds to develop their respective agriculture sector on modern lines.
“After the passage of 18th amendment, the agriculture has become the provincial subject and each provinces is not only being provided resources from divisible pool according to National Financial Award but have been given free hand to utilize these resources for development,” the minister said.
The minister said that a project worth Rs 90 million would be launched soon to promote pest-free mango, Kinnow, rice and potatoe crops. On the occasion, Secretary MNFS&R, Seerat Asghar said that his ministry would make all out efforts to ensure quality of agriculture produce to earn good fame for the agriculture products at international markets.
He said for bringing further improvement in exportable products, the wooden boxes would not be utilised for packing, which, he said, had been damaging the fruit. He said all including exporters, scientists and other stakeholders were playing duly their role in boosting the agriculture exports.
Speaking on the occasion, PARC Chairman Dr Iftikhar Ahmad once again stressed that agriculture innovations, inventions, new varieties, seed and all other technologies must be shared with farmers to develop agriculture on modern lines. He said the soil of Sindh was rich enough to produce all kinds of fruits and vegetables, however, there was need that proper seed and plants were provided to exploit the potential of this rich land.
Director General National Agriculture Research Center (NARC) Dr M Azeem said that as many as 0.5 million tissue culture virus free bananas plants would be given to farmers during next year in February and March.
Director General Department of Plant Protection Dr Mubarak said that scientists had been working vigorously to introduce new seed and plant to farmers to enhance quality production of crops while representative of All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association, Waheed Ahmed said with the collective efforts of researchers, farmers and exporters, the country’s agriculture sector could be promoted on modern lines.
Sindh Director General Atta Soomro said that good agriculture practices needed to be followed in the province while progressive farmer, Sitaria Imtiaz Imdad Nizamani urged scientists to intervene timely and provide seed and plants to farmers as and when required.
Another progressive farmer and Member Board of Governors PARC, Abdul Majeed Nizamani urged the scientists to conduct research for the elimination of camel disease in Sindh while an exporter, Mr Durrani said that collective efforts were needed to promote agriculture sector of the country.
