Renowned experts, civil society leaders and farmers' representatives have termed Corporate Farming in Pakistan against the national interests as well as the interest of small growers of Pakistan and have demanded from government to immediately stop leasing of land to foreign countries under the name of Corporate Farming.
This was demanded in a seminar on "Corporate Farming and Future of Agriculture in Sindh" jointly organised by PDI, Oxfam GH and European Commission in a local hotel in Karachi on Saturday. A large number of the representatives of growers, civil society, government officials, media and experts participated in the seminar.
While addressing the seminar, the experts further demanded that the third phase of the distribution of state land to landless women and male farmers should be started immediately by Sindh Government. Roots for equity representative Dr Azra Talat while addressing the seminar said that the common citizen of the country is facing food security and high level of inflation; and this initiative by the government will further increase at the zero tolerance level for the people.
On this occasion, Comrade Ramzan and Dr Fateh Mari shared that the soil of Sindh has now become UNFERTLE due to heavy doses of fertilisers and pesticides to get extra yields. Comrade Ramzan focused that the poor women and men residing in rural areas should be given residential/ household entitlement through registration and regularisation of existing villages and distribution of economically viable land for homesteads.
Dr Mari added that a long-term holistic agriculture policy must be developed that focuses on the rights of small farmers, the impact of climate change, ensuring registration of small farmers and recognising the role of women as farmers.
"The present government is striving for the socio-economic development of the people of Pakistan, said by Jam Mehtab Dahar, Minister for Revenue, Government of Sindh," he said in his presidential address. He further shared the data of small farmers of 21 districts of Sindh and offered for more land if the land development and water courses to the land area can be afforded by any farmer man or woman. While responding to the questions of the media and seminar participants, he said that I am benefited from WTO as a mid-level farmer but confessed that it is against the small farmer/grower.
Presenting facts and figures, Mr Zulfiqar Halepoto, a social and political analyst, stood on the point to undo the policies and ordinances emerged by the Musharraf regime. He suggested current democratic government to focus on pro-farmer/pro-poor agriculture policies to ensure their due share. Addressing in the seminar, Rajput said that he realised to focus the issue consciously. He added that the water distribution is unbalanced and short and exclaimed how the government will ensure the irrigation water for thousands of acres of land to foreign companies.-PR