Govt urged to impose agriculture, climate emergency

Punjab may witness a loss of 40% in rice and maize crops

LAHORE: The Farmers Bureau of Pakistan (FBP), a representative platform of progressive growers, has urged the government to impose agriculture and climate emergency to save the sector from the bad patch it is witnessing at present.

“Cotton, rice and corn crops have almost ruined because of the erratic weather, heatwave, lose control of seed trade and lack of promotion of new technologies in the agricultural sector. We may be witnessing a loss of 40% in rice and maize crops while cotton is also facing the same fate,’ said FBP’s founding member.

Talking to the members of the Agriculture Journalists Association (AJA) on Thursday, FBP founding members Dr Zafar Hayyat, Mian Shaukat, Aamir Hayat Bhandara and Imran Shah Khagga urged the government to ensure immediate intervention to save the growers.

They claimed that this year agriculture may register downward growth even lower than the previous year. They said that the government should immediately improve the policies; control the seed trade, introduction of seed varieties resistant to climatic changes and promoting the technology.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 4^th, 2019.