Punjab reconstitutes Agri Commission for sectoral reforms

LAHORE: The Punjab government has reconstituted the Agriculture Commission as a multi-stakeholder advisory forum to accelerate the province’s agricultural transformation with a focus on improving productivity, farm profitability and inclusive growth in the agriculture sector.

According to a notification issued by the Punjab Agriculture Department on October 26, 2026, the commission has been reconstituted on the direction of chief minister to recommend policy measures and reforms aimed at addressing key challenges facing the province’s agriculture sector.

The provincial minister for agriculture and livestock will head the commission, while MPA and Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture Usama Khan Leghari has been appointed its co-chairman. The minister for irrigation Punjab is also among its members.

The commission includes lawmakers from different constituencies, senior officials of the provincial and federal governments, agricultural experts, university representatives, private-sector stakeholders and progressive farmers. Its members include Secretary Agriculture Punjab, Secretary Irrigation Punjab, Secretary Livestock and Dairy Development Department, Secretary Food Safety and Consumer Protection Department, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, and the Special Secretary Agriculture South Punjab, Multan.

Representatives from the private sector and agricultural research community include Javaid Saleem Qureshi, Dr Muhammad Iqbal Bandeshah, Dr Khalid Hameed, Dr Asif Ali Khan, and Dr Muhammad Anjum Ali Buttar. Farmer representatives include Khalid Mahmood Khokhar of the Farmers Association, Sardar Zafar Hussain Khan, Syed Hassan Raza, Rana Ejaz Ahmad Noon, Syed Faisal Hassan, Malik Atif Ali Khan, Haji Lal Khan, Syed Musa Raza, Aamer Hayyat Bhandara, Affaq Tiwana, Ch Maqsood Ahmad Jatt and Zafar Hayat.

Under its terms of reference, the commission will recommend measures to strengthen food security, diversify crops, improve climate resilience, promote value addition, enhance farm profitability and ensure sustainable agricultural growth. It will also propose reforms in land and water management, agricultural inputs, crop productivity, high-value agriculture, agro-ecological zoning, research, marketing, agro-industry, imports and modern technologies.

The commission will review existing agricultural policies and government interventions, identify implementation gaps and barriers to the adoption of improved practices, and recommend evidence-based solutions. It will also examine ways to improve public-sector efficiency, encourage private investment, promote public-private partnerships and strengthen agricultural service delivery.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026