PEW for promoting agriculture to alleviate rural poverty

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) Tuesday stressed the need for promoting agriculture and livestock sectors to get rural communities out of poverty.

The agricultural sector was considered the backbone of the economy and had been largest employment provider while eighty percent of exports were linked to it, it said.

However, this sector was not getting due attention President PEW, Dr Murtaza Mughal in a statement issued here said.

He was of the view that it was next to impossible to ensure national development while keeping the agricultural development on the back burner which was the mainstay of the economy.

Dr Murtaza Mughal said agricultural growth in the last eight years had remained at the average of 2.1 percent while it had dipped to 1.6 percent while the reduced production was contributing to poverty.

He said Pakistan was a notable country in milk production; the number of cattle head was increasing but the productivity of milk, beef and mutton was stagnant since long.

Livestock was very important for poverty reduction, human health and food security but the majority of people engaged in this business were away from the formal economy, he added.