Agriculture produces and marketing laws are being revised to allow private sector for setting up markets and to restrict collection/levy of market fee with in markets only.
This was stated by Fayyaz Bashir, Secretary Agriculture Punjab, during a meeting with experts' team of Australian Center for international Agriculture Research (ACIAR) visiting Pakistan. The team comprises Dr Jeff Davis and David Harris (Policy Analyst/Economist) and Sosheel Solomon, Programme Officer ASPL, Australian High Commission, Islamabad.
The meeting was attended by Dr Mubarik Ali, Chief Executive, PARB, Dr Muhammad Rasheed, Director General Agri (Research), Dr Sajjad Zaheer, Director General Livestock and others.
Fayyaz Bashir stated that revamping of marketing legislation is under progress with the object to make agriculture-marketing institutions more effective to deliver services to the growers and consumers. He further said that policy focus of government is to increase productivity of agricultural produce and its value addition for which great potential lies in horticulture and livestock sectors.
He said that poverty level in Pakistan has come down from 30 percent to 24 percent and enhancing farmers income is a key to alleviate poverty as majority of the population lives in rural areas, involved in farming and agriculture sector also engages 45-percent of labour force in the country.
Mansoor Arifeen, Chief Executive, Punjab Agriculture Marketing Company stressed for diligent investment programme to make agricultural products competitive through public private partnership.
Earlier, David Harris, policy analyst/economist of ACIAR briefed about the project outline titled 'Economic and policy constraints effecting the development of small scale dairy farmers in Pakistan' initiated under ASPL project.
The Secretary Agriculture Punjab and other experts appreciated the policy analyst project and assured full support of relevant institutions from Punjab government. He hoped that Australian experts would assist Pakistan government in developing good horticulture and livestock policy.
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