PM Shehbaz Orders Swift National Agriculture Policy, Launch of Apex Forum
Chairing a high-level meeting on Monday (June 29) on the restructuring of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research and reforms in the agriculture sector, the prime minister emphasized that agriculture has the potential to place Pakistan on the path of sustainable economic development.
He instructed authorities to establish an Agriculture Apex Forum that will hold monthly meetings to ensure the effective implementation of the Agriculture Innovation and Growth Plan.
The prime minister also directed the launch of a nationwide awareness campaign for the Zarkhez-e Agricultural Loan Programme to improve farmers' access to affordable agricultural financing. He said that easier access to credit would enable farmers to adopt modern farming practices and increase productivity.
Calling for the transformation of the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) into a true center of agricultural research and innovation, Prime Minister Shehbaz stressed that the timely availability of quality seeds, modern agricultural technology, water resources, and fertilizers would significantly enhance per-acre crop yields.
He further instructed authorities to focus on value addition of agricultural commodities, improved warehousing facilities, and modern storage systems to minimize post-harvest losses and strengthen the agricultural value chain.
During the meeting, officials presented a series of reform proposals for the agriculture sector and briefed the prime minister on ongoing initiatives.
The National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) informed the meeting that pilot production of multi-grain flour is currently underway. Officials also revealed that an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based mobile application is being developed to help farmers identify crop diseases and pests and provide timely recommendations for effective control.
The meeting was further informed that the National Credit Guarantee Company Limited will provide financial support to facilitate farmers' access to easy loans.
Officials stated that the National Seed Policy and the National Agriculture Biotechnology Policy have recently been approved, while consultations on the Pakistan National Olive Value Chain Policy have been completed and the policy will soon be submitted for formal approval.
Briefings also highlighted that consultations are continuing on a National Wheat Policy and several policies relating to the livestock sector.
The meeting was attended by Federal Ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Attaullah Tarar and Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani, Special Assistant Haroon Akhtar, Prime Minister's Coordinator on Agriculture Ahmad Umair, and senior officials from relevant ministries and institutions.