‘Food security a looming challenge’

Islamabad:The speakers during a World Food Day webinar called food security a looming challenge and called for a collective action of all stakeholders, including FAO, national governments, provincial governments, civil society, academia and researchers, to address it.

According to them, our acts determine our future and therefore, our motto should be to grow, nurture, and sustain together. The event titled ‘To Build Back Better' was organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute.

Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam, who was present on the occasion, said the prime minister had approved a package of Rs26 billion for erecting a physical infrastructure in the coming years to combat pests for crops.

He said the government had imported wheat to overcome the shortage of 1.7 million tons wheat and it would arrive in Pakistan by January 2021. The minister said the private sector had also started importing the wheat and it would alleviate the problem further. He said the prime minister’s five years plan of Rs277 million program and the Covid-19 Rs50 million fiscal package program for farmers as subsidy on seeds and fertilizers will also encourage the growers. “The government will encourage and support the small farmers by providing research-based timely information regarding seeds and climatic vagaries," he said.