Harvard University has used historical economic data to find out the reasons for poverty. They have found that poverty is directly linked to food production of a region. With less food production there is high poverty and with high food production there is low poverty. This is because when the farmer has high production from his crops, than he has money to hire workers, creating jobs. While his children will have time to get educated or pursue arts or business. While on the other hand if the farmer has low production from the farm, than he will have less money to hire workers and will need the help of his family on the farm, depriving them of opportunity for education, business or cultural activities, rendering the region in poverty.
Considering this fact, when we look at the production of farms in Pakistan, we soon realize that Pakistani farms are poorly producing 3 times less compared to developed country farms. The main reason for this poor production is because farmers in Pakistan are not using new agriculture technologies or seeds to improve their farm yield.
Therefore if the PTI want to end poverty in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, than they should invest in new agriculture technologies for local farmers, to help them improve their farm yields and reduce poverty in the region. One easy way the PTI government can help in doubling the farm yields in KP would be by installing “Drip Irrigation Systems” on local farms. This system provides small but regular supply of water to the plant root via pipes and helps double farm yield and reduces water use for farm.
Drip irrigation systems have a high initial cost, but if the Government of KP partner with the right Chinese partner and financial bank, they can help local farmers get high quality drip irrigation systems at low rates, through bank finance. Since the product will increase farm yield and farmer income, the drip irrigation system can also be installed with International grants. Within two years of installing drip irrigation systems across KP province, we will witness increased food production, increased economic activities and reduction in poverty.
ENGR SHAHRYAR KHAN BASEER,
Peshawar
I am sorry, the analysis is a poor reflection of agricultural reality in Pakistan and the developed world. Fertilizer production is controlled by a cartel mafia of which rulers are an integral part. When the rulers set high price for diesel and electricity, high fertilizer price to suite the cartel mafia and relatively low price for the agricultural product, the farmer is milked for all his worth. With none existent profit on produce, how is the farmer supposed to buy the inputs of modern agriculture. The sugar cartel mafia mostly based on current rulers makes a huge profit; not only do they pay peanuts to the cane producer, they sugar mafia adds insult to injury by paying them if and when it suits them. The powerless farmer can do absolutely nothing. The government sets a low price for agricultural products so that food remains affordable for the poor masses, in other words, affordable food for the poor is at farmers expanse. Most countries with genuine interest in developing their agriculture also set low price in view of affordability, but their governments give subsidy to the farmer so that profit can be made and agriculture can be run as a business.
Under the circumstances, when everything is rigged against the farmer, how do you expect agriculture to progress and prosper. In Indian Punjab, electricity is either free or heavily subsidized, diesel for the farmer is a lot cheaper, varied and diverse agricultural machinery all made in India is much cheaper than Pakistan. They have specialized seed processing plants that sift out dead and substandard seed, weed seed and small stone and bits of soil. This healthy and clean seed is supplied to the Indian farmer at reasonable rates. Using clean processed seed on it's own increases yield by 15 to 20%. Crop yield from Indian Punjab is two to three times that in Pakistan.
You are totally out of step with food production in the developed world, they have far more yield at a much much higher input cost which is covered by heavy subsidy from the government both in US and EU. This subsidy works against small farmer in Asia. Without this subsidy, the farmer in the developed world will not be able to compete with the poor Asian farmer despite the reliance on very basic agricultural technology.
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