ISLAMABAD: Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) on Monday underlined the need for formulation of sustainable agriculture policy by the provinces, which had been fully empowered to move forward with pro-active approach to ensure food security.
"Despite passage of 18th Amendment of the Constitution in Pakistan, provinces have so far failed to introduce new agriculture, environment and food security policies," Chairman FPCCI Standing Committee on Horticulture Exports, Ahmad Jawad said.
According to a news release, he said provinces direly need to introduce sustainable agriculture policy so as to ensure food security and quality seeds of wheat, rice, cotton and vegetables," and if steps are not taken on war footing, food security would shatter the economic structure as country would be compelled to spend billions of dollars on imports to feed its huge population.
"If we stayed where we are today in terms of cropped area and yield per hectare, we will have 30% less food available per capita in next two decades.
Food security could be achieved by addressing the problems of pests, rural poverty, degraded fertile, depleted ground water along with tackling the issue of eroded biodiversity.
He said in order to banish the rural poverty "We need to revisit our priorities which could be done with major chunk of investment in field of research and technologies to benefit the small land holders.
We must emulate the Bangladesh example for achieving a significant success in food security which was acknowledged by the World Bank," he maintained.
"We could fight the poverty by facilitating the farmers and subsequent success in achieving lower food prices.
Jawad said that genetic modified crops have contributed to sustainable development in several significant ways including: as these crops have an important role to play in lessening the environmental impact and improving the sustainability of food production.
Insect-resistant rice, for example, has the potential to benefit about 1 billion people.
The FPCCI official urged the government to patronize scientists working for the technology promotion and its up-gradation in the country.
"Pakistan is a sleeping technology giant, the day it gets up, Pakistan would be another China. He said that it was very unfortunate that the country did not have any framework for transfer of technology.
He said that there are 400 research institutions in the country but their performance is not up the mark.
He said the approved establishment of National Food Safety Regulatory Authority be activated immediately, so that clear policy line may be rendered towards stakeholders.
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