Government should provide certified seeds, pesticides and fertiliser to small farmers and facilitate them that they get market original price and could improve their livelihood. It was observed by speakers in a seminar entitled "Food Security" jointly organised by SAWFCO, European Commissions and Oxfam GB, held at Shadadpur city district Sanghar on other day.
District Agriculture Officer, Mushtaq Ahmed Soomro was chief guest in the seminar and SAFWCO Executive Director, Salman Abro presided the seminar.
Agriculture experts emphasised upon the formation of smaller farmer's organisation in the Sindh and imparting them advanced agriculture scientific knowledge for their better economic empowerment.
"Sanghar district is producing more cotton crops in the country as compared to other districts of the country for two years" district agriculture officer said in the seminar. He lauded the efforts of civil society organisations for educating and encouraging small growers to set-up their organisations in the districts for resolving their issues. He recommended that there is a need of a set-up of a more small growers organisations and educate them to cultivate crops on modern scientific methods. He suggested that farmers should use verified seeds in their crops to improve their livelihood.
SAFWCO Chief Executive said that recent flood, which hit the country had been devastated two million hector crops in the country and there is a fear of shortage of edible food items in the country. He added that agriculture department officials should come forward and ensure to provide certified seeds to small farmers and elimination role of a middleman that small farmers could get benefit from their cultivated crops.
Oxfam - representative Asim Saqlain and other small growers and agriculture experts spoke in the seminar and highlighted the issues being faced by small farmers in the country and gave suggestions to pay way for economic empowerment of small growers in the country.
SAFWCO Food Security project officer informed the participants of a seminar about the Food Security project saying that in Sanghar district in 80 villages, small farmers organisations were set-up and 900 small farmers have been provided seed and fertiliser and later two women farmers from each organisation imparted training.
Moreover SAFWCO, exhibited a Seed Fair in which different stall of seed varieties were installed. Nawab Qureshi, EDO Agriculture Sanghar inaugurated 'Seed Fair' exhibited by SAFWCO, European Commission and Oxfam jointly. SAFWCO Executive Head, Salman Abro has said that the purpose of holding of a Seed Fair to create awareness among the small farmers and imparting education them about cultivating certified seed in their crops and informed them about livestock protection.-PR