Work on achieving goal of food security emphasised

World Food Day 

Islamabad: National Agriculture Research Council Director-General Dr Azeem Khan has said that we have to work on achieving the goal of food security and at the same time put a halt to rural to urban to achieve self-sufficiency in food.

Dr Khan was speakers at a seminar in connection with World Food Day organised here by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute. The NARC chief said that despite low levels of research and development funding, Pakistan was able to produce a number of high yielding varieties of food, specially rice and wheat. He observed that the time has come that we reallocate and provide more resources for rural development and innovative agriculture methods and techniques to achieve the goal of food security.

Dr. Abid Qaiyum Suleri, executive director, SDPI, said that Pakistan is certainly linked to the triangular theme of migration, food security and rural development. He said that since the 1980s, the country is fast leading towards the services-based economy having a transition from agricultural- to industrial-based economy.

He said that with more people gradually shifting from agriculture production to service sector, a gap at agriculture sector is being created which results in the low calories consumption by a large number of people. He feared that the people in Gilgit Baltistan, Balochistan, FATA and some part in Sindh would face food insecurity.

Mina Dowlatchahi, representative of Food and Agriculture Organisation in Pakistan, said that there is a need for appropriate policies and strategies to feed the growing population of cities which is possible only through a strong agriculture sector.

Though a lot of work is being done to improve the levels of nutrition and introduce innovation in agriculture sector, Pakistan’s proposed Food Security Policy, now in the phase of finalisation, needs to address some fundamental questions such as how much Pakistan needs to invest to support small holding farmers and women farmers in terms of provision of credit and input facilities so that they grow flood- and climate-resistant crops. She said there is also a need to invest in rural development in terms of providing children nutritious food, better schooling and clean drinking water.

MNA Romina Khursheed Alam said that the respective governments acknowledge that agriculture is backbone of the economy and the trend of rural to urban migration is also a matter of concern for them as it is happening at the cost of production of food.

Syed Nasir Ali Shah, Managing Director, Pakistan Oil Seed Development Board, said that though Pakistan produces enough staple food, yet the country imports 84% of oil seed which is main item of Food Security Basket because the domestic production is just 16% which needs to be increased.

Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan, former Vice Chancellor, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, said that we should focus on developing a policy framework coupled with political ownership at the highest level to prioritise rural and agriculture development to achieve the objectives of food security and appropriate check on the rural urban movement. Moreover, public investment needed to be enhanced in rural development, he concluded.