ISLAMABAD: Minister for National Food Security and Research, Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan on Tuesday said that the government was working closely with the agriculture scientists, international partners and farmers to propagate agriculture-research and bring innovations at the very doorstep of farmers across the country.
"This will not only improve the livelihood of vulnerable poor population but will be a step towards securing food security in the country", Bosan said while addressing the concluding session of a two-day workshop on "4R Nutrient Stewardship for Food, Economic and Environmental Security" workshop on jointly organized by Food and Agriculture Organization, Minister of NFSR and Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC).
He said Pakistan was the 8th largest food producing country and 5th largest producer of milk, however, Pakistan like other developing countries was facing challenges in expanding its agricultural outputs to ensure future food availability for the rapidly growing population.
"Since 1998 to date, the population of Pakistan has increased by 45 percent, however, the limited possible expansion of arable land, and rising impact of climate change are exerting pressure on the overall soil health and crop productivity", he added.
He stressed the need to improve the agriculture production system on scientific basis to enhance sustainable food production, and to meet present and future demands for food security.
"This can be done through the adoption of better agricultural methods, improved technologies and sustainable soil management practices", he added.
He said fertilizers were major agricultural inputs to enhance crop production.
He said FAO had estimated that the balanced use of fertilizers can enhance yield from 30 to 50 percent in different cropping zones.
However, the use of fertilizers should not increase beyond certain limits; this exactly is the concept of 4R nutrient stewardship, he added.
He said the use of fertilizers in Pakistan was not balanced; the farmers were either not aware or had limited knowledge on the balanced and proper use of fertilizers on their agricultural lands.
He informed that FAO in collaboration with the USDA and PARC was implementing a two-year project on the Soil Fertility Management for Sustainable Intensification in Punjab and Sindh provinces.
"The project aims to provide a baseline atlas of current soil fertility practices that will be disaggregated by farm size and cropping systems", he added.
He said this would help understand required soil fertility management changes for sustainable intensification.
Patrick Evans, FAO Representative to Pakistan, Dr. Nadeem Amjad, Chairman PARC and Dr. Thomas Reinsch, United States Department of Agriculture,Dr. Terry Roberts (President International Plant Nutrition Institute) also spoke on the occasion.
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