Integration in global food chain central to agricultural revival in Pakistan: NA Speaker

• Asad Qaiser stressed the need for connecting farmers with the global markets and projection of the ‘Made in Pakistan’ brand across the world.
• Asad says Pakistan is a producer of best quality agri-products.
• Asad announces Special Committee on Agriculture Products is actively pursuing linkages with the global food outlets.

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser Thursday emphatically stressed the need for connecting Pakistani farmers with the global markets and projection of the ‘Made in Pakistan’ brand across the world.

He stated that Pakistan was a producer of best quality agri-products; however, the lack of effective penetration in the global value chain precluded Pakistani farmers from higher productivity and profitability.

He was speaking during the 5th meeting of the Special Committee on Agricultural Products at Parliament House here.

He announced that the Special Committee on Agriculture Products was actively pursuing linkages with the global food outlets through partners and investors of international repute.

The representatives of the SGS and Swiss Consulting Private Limited presented a comprehensive plan for integrating Pakistani farmers in the global value chain. An international Business Development Consultant on Agri Food Supply Chain from SGS Geneva Hans Peter  briefed the committee on the successful implementation of the plan in China.

The plan presented to the committee centered on leveraging a tech driven connectivity of the Pakistani farmers with the global food chain. The committee was informed that the entire plan of e-commerce based access to the global market would be based on data management and self-assessment system where farmers will have wider access to buyers of their choice. The system indicates reducing the exploitative role of middlemen.

Asad Qaiser highlighted that previously the Pakistani farmers remained one of the most neglected segments in the policy and developmental priorities.

He said that the Special Committee of the National Assembly was committed to sustained endeavors to protect the rights of the farmers and enhance their profitability and productivity.

He indicated that the National Assembly would host comprehensive debates on turning around Pakistan’s agriculture sector with a particular focus on major crops or crops offering comparative advantage.

The Speaker urged the committee members to pay more time and attention to revival of agriculture and assured that he himself would crusade for the rights of the farmers at every level.  Several members highlighted that government should extend maximum support and relief to farmers through subsidies, concessions, and support price mechanisms.

The meeting was attended by the Minister for National Food Security and Research Sahibzada Muhammad Mehboob Sultan, Minister for Aviation Division Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Syed Fakhar Imam, Sher Akbar Khan, Shandana Gulzar Khan, Malik Muhammad Ehsan Ullah Tiwana, Muhammad Farooq Azam Malik, Mujahid Ali, Fazal Muhammad Khan, Rao Muhammad Ajmal Khan, Chaudhry Iftikhar Nazir, Nafeesa Inayatullah Khan Khattak and officials from the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, SGS and Swiss Consulting Private Limited.