Minister underscores need for improving agri productivity through farm mechanisation

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Industries and Production, Syed Murtaza Mahmud has stressed the need for improving agricultural productivity through farm mechanisation and promote agricultural credit for the rural economy especially to enable growers to purchase modern agriculture technologies.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the five-day “International Training Course on Productivity Gains sharing in Agribusiness Enterprises”, jointly organized by the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) and National Productivity Organization (NP) here on Monday, he said the course will provide knowledge on the application of gains haring tools and share best practices to make agribusiness more productive and profitable.

He was of the view that converting raw produce into value-added products like fruit pulping and fruit dehydration can promote agribusiness. He said regional skills development programmes for rural youth can address the need of the rural masses and enable the people become productive workforce.

He stressed on the use of productive irrigation methods such as drip irrigation, sprinkler irrigation, optimum use of Intermediate inputs like fertilizers, seeds and pesticides for better produce of crops. He suggested to promote low-cost enterprise development programs like honey bee keeping and floriculture etc. in order to create employment opportunities for the rural youths.

The minister appreciated the APO’s role in the development of Asia-Pacific region and said it is time to revitalise our commitment and strive to achieve APO’s vision of “Inclusive, innovation-led productivity growth in the Asia-Pacific”. He welcomed the international delegates and conveyed his gratitude to APO and NPO for addressing this important topic.

Gains sharing has the potential to contribute to agricultural productivity as farmers are empowered, actors in supply chains are motivated to create increased feeling of ownership, and companies receive greater profits due to higher productivity and enhanced efficiency throughout supply chains. Successful gains sharing plans result in quality and productivity improvements of employees.

He said that the Ministry of Industries owns and owes a mission to “To Achieve Efficient, Sustainable and Inclusive Industrial Development” for which every possible effort will be made. He said that his ministry will continue playing an effective role of facilitator in industrial development and entrepreneurship through policy intervention, setting up Industrial Parks and Export Processing Zones (EPZs) for investors, skill development of human resource for the industrial sector and the socio-economic development of the country with particular focus on SME development and promotion of traditional crafts of Pakistan.

He said that the country through sustainable industrial development can tackle the present external and internal challenges. He said that it was to better integrate small-scale farmers into markets so that they can make the agricultural sector stronger. Experience shows that when a country’s agricultural sector is not competitive as a result, Pakistan despite being an agricultural economy was forced to import various food items. He said that owing to these key issues agriculture sector was unable to address the poverty reduction in rural areas.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023