Federal National Food Security and Research Minister Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan said on Saturday that the development of livestock, self-sufficiency in oilseed and enhanced efforts in areas of fisheries and horticulture would be the characteristics of the agriculture policy.
Bosan expressed these views at a seminar on ‘How business can transform Pakistan’s agriculture’ organised by the Pakistan Agriculture Council at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS).
He said that revamping the role of the private sector through incentives and the creation of a workable environment were major benchmarks of the current government.
He said that work was being done on a regulatory reform process which pronounced the government’s work as facilitator.
“Food security is as important as national security and a bipartisan approach is required to fix the nuts and bolts of the emerging business,” Bosan said.
Furthermore, Bosan said that the country’s agricultural research needed a new meaning, adding that “Our research should be realigned, aiming at the discovery and the interpretation of facts relating to our own realities and requirements. The biggest challenge for our scientists is how to handle the present cycle of heavy rains”.
Furthermore, he said that a presentation on the food security had been made and would be presented to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a few days. Bosan also said that a level playing field was necessary for competition in all fields including agriculture.
