PM emphasizes comprehensive policies to tackle future food insecurity

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Wednesday emphasized the formulation of short, mid and long term policies to tackle the challenge of food insecurity in future considering the growing needs due to swelling population and shrinking cultivable land bank.

Chairing a meeting to review the prices of sugar and flour, he also directed the use of information technology and modern methods to enhance wheat production, a Prime Minister Office press release said.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz, Industries Minister Hammad Azhar, National Food Security Minister Syed Fakhar Imam, advisors Abdul Hafeez Shaikh and Mirza Shahzad Akbar, special assistants to the prime ministers Lt Gen (Retd) Asim Saleem Bajwa, Dr Shahbaz Gill and Usman Dar and senior officers attended the meeting, also joined by all four provincial chief secretaries through video link.

The chief secretaries apprised the prime minister of the sugar, wheat and flour prices and crackdown on the wheat hoarders.

The industries and national food security ministers updated the prime minister on the progress regarding import of sugar and wheat.

The prime minister said it was government’s priority to ensure surplus supply of basic food items like wheat and sugar.

He also proposed the constitution of a high level ministerial committee under national food security minister to formulate short, mid and long term policies to cope with the feared food insecurity in the future.

He also directed all relevant authorities to take measures to ensure start of crushing season on time.

The prime minister also directed the chief secretaries to take steps for establishment of food and drug testing laboratories in all provincial capitals to curb adulteration.