Business

Minister calls for unified supply chain

Stresses to establish robust regulatory framework to combat artificial price hikes in food items

APP September 26, 2023

A family harvests red chili peppers in Kunri, Pakistan, February 24, 2022. Devastating floods across Pakistan in August and September after several years of high temperatures, have left chilli farmers struggling in a country heavily dependent on agriculture, where officials have estimated $40 billion of flood damages. "When I was a child, the heat was never so intense. We used to have a plentiful crop, now it has become so hot, and the rains are so scarce that our yields have dwindled," farmer Leman Raj, 40, said. REUTERS

ISLAMABAD:

Caretaker Minister for National Food Security & Research, Dr Kausar Abdulla Malik, on Monday, has stressed the importance of establishing a unified supply chain and a robust regulatory framework to combat artificial price hikes in food items across Pakistan.

During a meeting of the Agriculture Policy Institute (API), he emphasised the need for policy adjustments to enhance efficiency and equity in the agricultural sector. Malik pointed out that these price hikes often result from demand-supply imbalances or hoarding, which can be addressed through stronger regulatory mechanisms.

Additionally, he proposed the reactivation of the Food Security Advisory Council to facilitate communication between the federal and provincial authorities, especially regarding agricultural policies and their impact on food prices.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 26^th, 2023.

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