Food security: Low investments worry agriculture experts

Stress the need to reform and revamp national research system

FAISALABAD: Experts have expressed dismay and concern over low investments in the agriculture sector and termed it a serious impediment to achieve agricultural growth rate of 4% per annum for meeting challenges of looming food insecurity and economic development.

The experts have recently formulated a food security policy report with an aim to ensure modern, effective and diversified food production that can best contribute towards food security and nutrition, in terms of availability, access, utilisation and stability.

The report, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, emphasises adequate measures for all segments of the population.

It reveals agriculture guarantees maximum returns with minimum investment.

The best part of investment in agriculture sector is that an investment in most agriculture activities will fetch back some percentage of the investment within a year.

“In other sectors of economy, the investment starts accruing dividends after a period of 4-5 years.

In Pakistan’s context, the justification for higher investment in agriculture is that the sector has least dependence on energy compared to industrial sector,” the report stated.

The report pointed out that investment levels in Pakistan’s agriculture have been low despite the fact the share of the sector in GDP is around 21%.

The experts stressed the need to reform and revamp National Agriculture Research System for the appropriate solution to the complex nature of agriculture sector issues.

They also called to address new challenges and opportunities for achieving the goals of modernising agriculture sector.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 15^th, 2016.