Pakistan is one of the top food producers in the world and an agricultural state but its people are not facilitated.
KARACHI: This is with reference to your editorial “Child malnutrition” (September 25). Pakistan is one of the top ten food producers in the world and an agricultural state but its people are not entirely facilitated with adequate production, even before the flood, the reason being imbalanced export policy. For example, Pakistan produced 1.7 million tons of mangoes in 2007 but more than 70 per cent were exported which resulted into a shortfall and price hike within the country. People are facing the same problem in the case of other food items as well. This turns into malnutrition. Although donor agencies such as WHO and Unicef are making efforts to elevate malnutrition, the government should pay serious attention in building up the balance by utilising its assets and productions for its people rather than exporting most of it.
Aqsa Zaheer
Published in The Express Tribune, October 2nd, 2010.
