President Mamnoon Hussain has said that greater attention and investment in agriculture will increase productivity, reduce poverty, improve balance of trade, generate employment, check rural migration and increase GDP growth in the country.
In a message on "World Food Day" being observed today, the President said, "I take this opportunity to reiterate that the government is committed to turn agriculture into a fully-viable economic industry. It believes in alleviating issues faced by small farmers and considers them as the backbone of the rural economy."
"The government also accords high priority to development of livestock, fisheries and other sectors relating to family farming. The prospects for progress in agriculture, especially family farming are endless in Pakistan," he added. The President observed the government would require the synergy of the private sector, civil society, research scientists and the academia to achieve targets.
He called upon the developed nations to share their expertise and technologies to enable the farmers to maximise food production and contribute towards goal of ensuring food security in order to actualise the dream of a prosperous and progressive Pakistan.
He said every year, the entire world observes the 16th of October as the "World Food Day" and the theme of this year's World Food Day, "Family Farming-Feeding the World and Caring for the Earth" is relevant to Pakistan as there are around 7 to 8 million farms in the country.
More than 85 percent of them are small family farms of less than 5 hectares. While formulating agriculture policy the government must, therefore, focus on these small farmers who can transform the country's economy by producing more, the President added.