There’s urgent need to revitalise agri sector: minister

LAHORE: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Prof Ahsan Iqbal has stressed the urgent need to revitalize Pakistan’s agricultural sector, pointing out that the devolution of powers under the 18th Constitutional Amendment has not been implemented in its true spirit, especially with regard to agriculture.

Talking to the media during a visit to a cotton research farm located on Defence Road Lahore on Sunday, the minister said that although the 18th Amendment transferred authority and resources to the provinces, agriculture has not received the attention it deserves.

“After the 18th Amendment, agriculture became a provincial subject, and it was the responsibility of the provinces to uplift the sector. Unfortunately, they failed to deliver tangible progress,” he said.

He was accompanied by renowned agricultural expert Engineer Javed Saleem Qureshi, who has developed a new variety of cotton seed after 25 years of extensive research and experimentation.

Prof Ahsan Iqbal said, “Due to lack of focus and commitment at the provincial level, we could neither improve per-acre yield nor introduce high-quality seeds for key crops. Our research institutions also failed to play an active role.”

The minister stressed the need for concrete planning to boost agricultural productivity, especially in critical crops like cotton, canola, and rice.

“We must now plan for the next ten years with clear goals. Time is slipping by, and unless we act decisively, we will continue to lag behind. Competing with the world requires us to function as a united and forward-thinking nation.”

He said that the absence of long-term national planning for the next 10 to 20 years is a serious concern.

“Pakistan must achieve self-sufficiency in agriculture. We cannot afford to rely on imports for essential crops any longer,” he added.

During the visit, Ahsan Iqbal lauded the groundbreaking work of Engineer Javed Saleem Qureshi, who has introduced a climate-resilient cotton seed variety capable of thriving in temperatures up to 50°C. The new seed, developed and successfully tested in Lahore while considering the impact of climate change, has the potential to boost cotton yield from the current 15 maunds per acre to an impressive 40–50 maunds per acre.

“This is nothing short of an agricultural revolution,” the minister remarked. “The government will fully support experts from the private sector who bring such innovations, and we will provide all possible cooperation to ensure their success.”

He also pointed out the immense potential in other crops such as canola, noting that increasing domestic production of canola oil could save the country billions of Dollars in foreign exchange currently spent on imports.

In response to a question regarding recent heavy rains, the minister said that the federal government has formed a committee comprising representatives from the federation and all four provinces to assess the damages. He added that the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is currently collecting data to determine the scale of impact and future response strategies.

Ahsan Iqbal said the government is fully committed to supporting agricultural innovation and emphasized that agriculture must become the cornerstone of Pakistan’s economic self-reliance in the coming years.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025