‘Country’s water resources depleting rapidly’

FAISALABAD: Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Sikandar Hayat Bosan has said that our water resources are depleting rapidly and soil suffers from constant erosion, which needs a long-term sustainable planning and execution.
He was addressing the international conference titled ‘Soil Sustainability for Food Security’ arranged by the Institute of Soil and Environmental Science, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, at New Senate Hall on Monday. The federal minister said that the United Nations had declared 2015 as the International Year of Soil. He stressed upon the need for sustainable and planned use of our land resources keeping in view that the soil fertility was decreasing. He said that Food and Nutrition Security Policy was being mapped out, adding that food security concerns in the country revolve around wheat availability. He said that the country was having abundant food. He said that as a long-term development plan, the vision 2025 seeks more stable state with ensured food security of its inhabitants in the context of entire value chains. To compensate the farmers’ loss and to ensure food production by our own farmers, the PM had recently announced Kisan Package, he added. He stressed upon the researchers to address the issue of the farming community for the cause of food security and rural development in the region. He said that the government was holding D-8 meeting on agriculture and food security.