National Agriculture Policy to be formulated soon: Dar
Says role of middleman should be managed in coordination with provinces in order to control prices.
ISLAMABAD (web Desk) - Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has emphasised that National Agriculture Policy must be formulated at the earliest for optimum use of natural resources to make country self-sufficient in food.
He was chairing a meeting in Islamabad on Saturday to review process of agricultural products in the country and the strategy to ensure agriculture sector growth.
The minister said agricultural policy should aim at eliminating poverty in rural areas. He pointed out that agriculture accounts for over 21% of GDP, while employing 45% of the country’s labour force.
He said in order to meet the challenges of food insecurity and malnutrition, it is imperative to employ the latest technological advancements and innovative techniques to improve the productivity of land.
He said role of middleman should be managed in coordination with provinces in order to control prices of agricultural products.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister for National Food Security and Research Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan said Pakistan has a great potential in agriculture. He said the Ministry is working on a number of projects to make modern agricultural technology accessible for farmers and growers.
The meeting was told that there is almost 1.1 million tons of surplus potato in the country.
Finance Minister agreed on devising a mechanism to control the prices in coordination with provinces and next meeting in this regard will be held next week.
