Food security dashboard to monitor 72 crops

Govt begins daily monitoring of wheat cultivation, supply, consumption

ISLAMABAD:

The federal government has begun daily monitoring of wheat cultivation, supply and consumption in the country under the food security dashboard to address the food crisis in the country.

The dashboard will monitor 72 crops of the country including strategic crops during the next three years. It was launched by the Ministry of National Food Security and Research for quick coordination and communication of information pertaining to food security among the provinces and the center.

The dashboard is being controlled by the economic wing of the national food security ministry.

Under this dashboard, crop data from every province is being provided on a daily basis, making it easier to assess critical food security factors including crop cultivation, supply, consumption and scarcity in the country.

Currently, the dashboard is maintaining complete data of the wheat crop, including its cultivation, demand, government’s wheat procurement, import, government releases and closing stock as well as procurement, production and sale of the grain and its products by the private sector.

After successful maintenance of wheat statistics on the dashboard, the Ministry of Food Security is now working towards compiling the sugarcane data as well.

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Officials familiar with the matter said data on all crops, including pulses, vegetables and fruits will be brought to the dashboard in the near future while the entire project will be completed in the next three years.

It is pertinent to mention that the government has already enacted the Pakistan Food Security Flow and Information Ordinance under which an officer who fails to provide data will face imprisonment or fine for up to six months.

The ordinance was also brought due to non-provision of timely crop production data by the provinces.

According to sources in the national food security ministry, timely receipt of crop data will help in overcoming food crisis in the country.

Penalties have also been proposed for officers who fail to provide timely data.