Problem identification: Agriculture sector key to resolving poverty issues

Punjab minister says govt making efforts to help farmers.

FAISALABAD:

Punjab Agriculture Minister Farrukh Javed, while chairing the senate meeting of University of Agriculture Faisalabad, said that the agriculture sector is facing complex challenges.

“Among them is low agricultural productivity, high cost of inputs and water and climate changes,” said Javed. “These prove to be massive hurdles in achieving food security.”

He added that the Punjab government is making all-out efforts to address the issue in order to alleviate poverty and end starvation in the country.

Javed stressed on joint efforts on the part of scientists, government and other stakeholders in order to lift of the agriculture sector.

“The agricultural sector is the backbone of our economy, contributing 21% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).”

According to Javed, the Punjab chief minister has given them the task of increasing per acre production as poverty alleviation was directly linked to agriculture sector.



He showed his concern that the country was unable to tap the international markets of Halal meat.

“India is earning foreign exchange worth billions of rupees by exporting its Halal meat to Malaysia,” said Javed.

He called for chalking out a joint plan to raise the agricultural sector that is a guarantee of bringing the country out poverty.

He lauded the steps being taken by the UAF for the development of the agricultural sector and produce trained manpower.

Meanwhile, UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said rural development is directly linked to the agriculture sector. He said the UAF has initiated 42 new demand-driven programmes in order to train manpower.

A Confucius centre has also been set up at the campus with the help of China in which Chinese Cultural and language programmes will be offered.

He added the university has established the Centre for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security worth $30 million, sponsored by USAID.

The centre will focus on studies about climate change, biotechnology, precision agriculture and policy researches.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 28^th, 2014.

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