ISLAMABAD: Minister for National Food and Security, Sikandar Hayat Bosan has said that agriculture development and provision of affordable and hygienic food to the people is government's top priority.
Speaking in a meeting of Senate Standing Committee on National Food Security here, Sikandar Hayat Bosan said there are over 700,000 tubewells working throughout the country out of which 30 percent are running on electricity while the rest are operating through diesel.
The Committee met under the Chairmanship of Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah with its members Muhammad Kazim Khan, Syeda Sughra Imam, Senator Saleem H. Mandviwalla, Muhammad Zafarullah Khan and Mohsin Leghari, said a statement received here on Thursday..
He said the federal government can not provide subsidy on tubwells throughout the country.
The government, he said is planning to give cash in form of subsidy to the farmers.
He further said that this year the cotton is expected to be produced above target production and it is hoped that the farmers will get reasonable cotton prices for their produce.
The Committee was informed that the draft of Food Security Policy is ready and a programme of providing affordable and quality food to the people at their doorsteps would be started soon.
Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah said that in the land of ocean, rivers, waterfalls and millions of acre fertile land, people can get economical food and the country can earn huge foreign exchange by increasing water facilities, arranging healthy seeds and low price urea.
Secretary of the Ministry, Shakeel Ahmed Khan said on the occasion that steps are being taken for preserving crops from diseases and for further development of the agriculture sector.
Chairman Pakistan Agriculture Research Council, Dr. Iftikhar Ahmed informed the committee that research institutes and nurseries are available for the provision of healthy seeds to the farmers throughout the country.
In the meeting it was informed that steps are being taken to enhance the production of wheat, cotton, sugar cane, dates, tomatoes, onions and red chilies.
In Dera Ismail Khan, in order to preserve and store the world's best quality date, plants have been established, the Committee was told.
It was also informed in the meeting that laws regarding production of international standard seed are being more strengthened so that the production of fake seeds should be discouraged.
Syed Muzaffar Shah said that a law should be approved from both houses that during the season of agriculture products, no trade on agriculture products should be done with India and through strict actions to stop smuggling through Wahga Border, the country's agriculture business sector should be benefitted.
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