AJ&K to make new agriculture policy with food ministry

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Azad Jammu and Kashmir Sardar Abdul Qayuum Khan Niazi has said a new policy would be made to oversee the transition towards high value crops in AJ&K collaboration with the ministry of national food security and research.

He met with Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam at his office on Monday in the presence of senior officials of the ministry of national food security and research.

“Tea plantation was once an area of focus but due to lack of vision of the previous governments it has seen little progress.” He said that long-term planning was the key towards meaningful output in the agriculture sector.

The two dignitaries agreed to make a long-term strategy to ensure that policies were implemented by the future governments as well. Fakhar Imam highlighted the benefits of private and public partnerships and proposed that the local producer should be incentivised for transitioning towards high value crops such as saffron, garlic, and deciduous fruits such as peach and plum.

Imam assured the PM that ministry of national food security would provide every support available to help in the agricultural transition towards high value crops. “A transition towards high value crops can uplift AJ&K economically.”

The factors of production of these crops were available, such as bulbs for saffron. Average income of per acre saffron production is Rs2,500,000-3,000,000, which was extremely high as compared to low value crops.

Fakhar said that every technical support would be provided to the government of AJ&K to upgrade the agriculture, as well as the livestock sector, which also has immense potential. The minister said that the quality of silage plays a key role in the quality of livestock and thus collaboration to enhance the livestock sector should be prioritised.

The two dignitaries pre-emptively discussed strategies to ensure that wheat shortage does not occur. Planning was also done to ensure that prices of wheat remain low and in the reach of citizens.