Land management: Agricultural policy in need of change
‘68% of population relies on agriculture for livelihood’.
ISLAMABAD:
Participants of a workshop on Monday stressed the need for modifying agricultural policy in accordance with climate change.
They claimed that about 58 million hectares of land in the country was affected by wind and water erosion, which is the main cause of desertification, land degradation and drought. Speaking at a workshop reviewing national agricultural policy documents on Monday, Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) Chairman Dr Muhammad Afzal said that emerging global climate change impact was likely to speed up the process of desertification, land degradation and drought -- particularly affecting livelihoods of dry land communities.
Afzal said that 68% of Pakistan’s population depends on agriculture for their livelihood – the sector contributes 24% to gross domestic product, 70% to foreign exchange earnings and employs 48% of labour force.
Workshop participants recommended that there should be an approved agriculture, water, forest and land use policy in Pakistan.
The workshop recommendations related to agricultural policy will be sent to the Federal Ministry for Food and Agriculture and provinces for incorporating them into national and provincial policies.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2011.
Participants of a workshop on Monday stressed the need for modifying agricultural policy in accordance with climate change.
They claimed that about 58 million hectares of land in the country was affected by wind and water erosion, which is the main cause of desertification, land degradation and drought. Speaking at a workshop reviewing national agricultural policy documents on Monday, Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) Chairman Dr Muhammad Afzal said that emerging global climate change impact was likely to speed up the process of desertification, land degradation and drought -- particularly affecting livelihoods of dry land communities.
Afzal said that 68% of Pakistan’s population depends on agriculture for their livelihood – the sector contributes 24% to gross domestic product, 70% to foreign exchange earnings and employs 48% of labour force.
Workshop participants recommended that there should be an approved agriculture, water, forest and land use policy in Pakistan.
The workshop recommendations related to agricultural policy will be sent to the Federal Ministry for Food and Agriculture and provinces for incorporating them into national and provincial policies.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2011.