Our water resources are depleting rapidly and soil suffers from constant erosion which needs a long-term sustainable planning and execution, said Sikandar Hayat Bosan, Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research. He was addressing the International Conference titled Soil Sustainability for Food Security arranged by the Institute of Soil and Environmental Science, University of Agriculture Faisalabad at New Senate Hall.
He said the United Nations had declared 2015 as the International Year of soil. He stressed upon the need for sustainable and planned use of our land resources keeping in view that the soil fertility is decreasing. He said Food and Nutrition Security Policy was being mapped out. He said that food security concerns in the country revolve around wheat availability. The production estimates and available stocks strongly suggested a smooth supply during the year 2011 to 2015. Whereas the better production of perishable such as fruits, vegetables, milk, meat and eggs, the food supply situation appears quite satisfactory. He added that the country was having abundant food. The current situation of food security is being compromised due to the high cost of production while the prices of food commodities have gone down in the international market.
He said that as a long-term development plan, the vision 2025 seeks more stable state with ensured food security of its inhabitants in the context of entire value chains. To compensate the farmers loss, and to ensure food production by our own farmers, the Prime Minister had recently announced Kissan Package which had four main components including the smalls farmers would get the chunk of Rs 147 billion as the direct benefit while Rs 194 billion had been allocated for agri loans. Farmers would be given subsidy of Rs 20 billion each for rice and cotton. The government has also announced setting up a Rs 20 billion fund to reduce the prices of fertilisers which will lesson the prices of DAP by Rs 500 per bag. He stressed upon the researchers to address the issue of the farming community for the cause of food security and rural development in the region. He also said that the government was holding D-8 meeting on agriculture and food security in which agriculture ministers of the members countries will participate.
UAF Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan called for taking measures for the soil fertility in the country. He said that the soil fertility was weakening while the deforestation, massive pollution, melting of glacier and depleting ozone layer can wipe out parts of the world if the adaptive measures not taken. He said that the UAF was making all-out efforts to ensure the food security in the country. He said at the time of the partition, the total population of country was 35 million which has now risen to 200 million. We have enough food and it is due to role of agricultural scientists and farming community. He said that rural development was linked to the food security of the county. If the soil fertility depletes, it would pose a threat of food insecurity.
Former vice chancellor, UAF, Professor Dr Riaz Hussain Qureshi said that imbalanced usage of inputs in the agricultural land had created unfavourable balance of nutrients including nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. It is reducing crop production and soil fertility in the country. Dean Faculty of Agriculture Dr Muhammad Arshad said that protective agricultural lands were being converted into residential and industrial use. He called for protecting the protected agricultural land. He urged the researchers and policymakers to address the issue at the national land. University of Western Australia Professor Dr Ed Barret Lennard said that in Pakistan, per capita water availability has reduced to 1000. He said that in 2030, if the situation continues, it will further reduce to 500. He also stressed the need to salt tolerant crops. He said that decreasing soil fertility was a matter of concern and effective measures and planning is needed to address the issue of soil fertility.
Dr Muhammad Rasheed said that UAF had developed a fertiliser model to provide expert opinion to farming community about the balanced usage at their doorstep with the usage of ICT at the website fertilizeruaf.pk. The Institute of Soil Sciences, UAF, Director, Professor Dr Javed Akhtar, said the situation of the soil deterioration was getting worst. He said that rural development was prerequisite to alleviate the poverty from the country.
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