Agrarian nation

Despite being an agrarian society, it is painful to see that agriculture and agricultural education are being ignored in Pakistan. After the historic 18th Amendment, it is up to the provinces to do whatever is necessary to develop the agriculture sector. Punjab and KP are doing well to improve their agro economy on modern lines but Sindh lags far behind.
Institutions for the promotion of agriculture such as the Sindh Agriculture Varsity, Tando Jam; Z A Bhutto Agricultural College, Dokri; the world-famous Rice Research Institute, Dokri, etc, are facing multifaceted problems, especially acute shortage of manpower, funds for research and for the purchase of new books. There is a dire need to strengthen all agricultural institutions in the province. Adaptation of the agriculture sector to climate change will be costly but vital for food security, poverty reduction and maintaining the ecosystem – but who cares in a province whose rulers do not even bother to discuss issues being faced by growers?
Hashim Abro
Islamabad