Green Pakistan

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Agriculture is the lifeline of Pakistan's economy, but to this day this sector has not been tapped to its true potential. Thus, the Green Pakistan Initiative launched by the government is a step towards an arduous journey that will entail resilience and astute planning.

Our neighbours - China, India, Iran and Bangladesh - have surpassed this milestone of green revolution way back, and are now counted among economies with maximum per yield harvesting.

It's time for Pakistan to leap forward and ensure that its farms are equipped with latest technology; high-quality seeds and fertilisers are easily available; and there is access to facilities like soil testing. That can only be done by educating the farmers and doing away with impediments to harnessing natural resources.

The pilot project kick-started at Cholistan last week by the Army Chief and the Punjab Chief Minister needs to be emulated across the country. It is altogether important because agriculture accounts for about 18.9% of our GDP and employs about 42.3% of the labour force.

That needs to be galvanised to ensure food security and avoid importing grains, as is the convention in times of adversity. Though Pakistan has witnessed a robust growth in agriculture with an overall increase of 6.25% in the previous fiscal, it should be doubled through the use of genetic seeds and mechanised farming.

Moreover, the low crop yield that the sector is grappling with must be overcome by doing away with mismanagement that prevents the country from posting a higher GDP.

The fact that the initiative has met with resistance from political quarters and sections of rural society in Sindh is worrisome. They are reportedly against the federal government's plan to construct six new canals on the Indus River, alleging that it has been designed to benefit a handful of elites at the expense of small farmers.

This row must be addressed on a logical and scientific basis, and it is assured that the green initiative comes to the collective benefit of agri-economy, and the cultivators. The political intelligentsia is also expected to play a positive role and not linger behind reasons of exigency.