ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has decided to form eight working groups to resolve the problems in the agriculture sector for enhancing the sector's efficiency and productivity.
The prime minister, on Monday, chaired a meeting of the Agriculture Task Force, which was given a briefing regarding the potential of the agriculture sector, especially, wheat, edible oil seeds, and cotton cultivation in the country as well as on the problems and for their solutions.
The working groups formed by the prime minister included on edible oil, wheat, cotton, agriculture financing, harvesters and mechanisation, maintenance of agricultural research institutes, and research and development in the agricultural sector, climate smart agriculture, and water management.
The meeting was informed that non-availability of quality seeds, lack of attention paid to research and development as well as difficulties in getting easy loans by farmers are some of the major problems in the development of the agriculture sector.
The prime minister, while speaking on the occasion, stated that agriculture is the backbone of the economy of the country, therefore, is included in the top priorities of the government.
He deplored that the agriculture remained neglected in the past and the country, which was once self-sufficient in crops, is now relying on imports.
He said that the government would pay special attention towards research and development in agriculture and measures would be taken for induction of human resources.
The prime minister directed that steps should be taken to recruit human resources on merit basis in agricultural research institution and ensure provision of easy loans to the farmers.
The prime minister further stated that recovery rate easy loans given to the farmers during his party’s government in Punjab was better.
Federal Minister for Finance Miftah Ismail, Federal Minister for Water Resources Syed Khurshid Shah, Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for National Food Security Tariq Bashir Cheema, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb, and Federal Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman also participated in the meeting.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022