‘What happened to our agrarian economy?’

CM accuses agriculture experts of failing to deliver

LAHORE: “It is unfortunate that despite having fertile lands, abundant water, a suitable climate and hardworking farmers, the agriculture sector has not made the desired progress,” Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Wednesday. He was addressing a seminar on GM Cotton Technology at Chief Minister’s Office.

“All institutions which should be playing a positive role for strengthening the agriculture sector have neglected it,” he said. “Negligence on part of the government towards development of agriculture is also a factor.”



Sharif said billions of dollars had been spent on the import of machinery that could have been locally manufactured.

“It is time for scientists to pay attention to their responsibilities and adopt a serious attitude.”

“Had our agriculture institutions performed well, the situation would not have been so dire. There need to identify those who have not performed their responsibilities and hold them accountable.”

The chief minister said interest-free loans were being provided to farmers. “With the help of modern technology, every penny of Kissan Package will reach the farmers. A huge subsidy is also being given on agriculture machinery. The federal government is also providing subsidy on fertilisers,” he said.

Bhutto’s economic policies were disastrous for Pakistan

“Power tariff has also been reduced to facilitate farmers,” he said.

He said the Punjab Agriculture Commission and several subcommittees had been set up to devise an agriculture policy and to dealing with matters related to livestock.

“Pakistan was one of the strongest agrarian economies. What has happened to this sector now?”

The chief minister said that Australia and China had made a lot of progress in agriculture.

“Pakistan, despite being an agrarian country, is forced to import cotton, wheat and sugar,” he said.

Shahbaz said China and Australia also faced climate change but their agriculture sector was doing better.

“Cotton-based industry is the backbone of Pakistan’s economy, but the cotton yield per acre has not increased,” he said. The chief minister said agriculture production could be raised through provision of quality seeds, medicines and with the help of modern technology.



 

“Experts and officers of government departments are always ready to participate in seminars and to attend training workshops abroad but they have never shared with the nation what they have learnt. Vice chancellors attend conferences abroad but they have never told me what they gained in terms of knowledge.”

“I would have been happy if they had given proposals for uplift of agriculture but they did not make a single suggestion,” he said. Minister for Agriculture Farrukh Javed also addressed the seminar. He said the cotton crop had suffered a loss last year but this year crop yield was better.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 1^st, 2016.