[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text dp_text_size=”size-4″]Pakistan Kissan Ittehad urges the Pakistan Army to work with farmers to address the food and urea crises.
Pakistan’s economy is heavily reliant on agriculture or ageing industry. Agriculture or agriculturalist industries account for $ 24 billion of its $31 billion in exports.
Unfortunately, no government has done anything significant to promote agricultural development. With rising production costs, it is becoming increasingly difficult to compete with neighbouring countries that have subsidised their agriculture, fertilisers, electricity, diesel, and other commodities, as well as supported their prices.
Investment in agricultural research is almost non-existent, and cotton and other crop research scientists are fighting for reimbursement of their last nine months’ pay and pensions.
Read More: Pakistan to Place order for Russian Oil and Gas next month.
The removal of electricity subsidies has greatly increased the cost of farming operations. Pakistan loses approximately USD 12 billion in foreign exchange due to imports of cotton (USD 4 billion), wheat (USD 2 billion), edible oils (USD 4.5 billion), and pulses (USD 0.5 Billion).
Pakistan can save valuable foreign currency by implementing modern agricultural farming practises.
Pakistan’s population is growing at a rate equal to that of New Zealand. The main causes of stagnant agricultural productivity are a lack of investment in research to produce quality seeds and an imbalanced use of fertilisers.
According to a UNICEF report, 8 out of 10 children in Pakistan do not consume the recommended amount and type of food.
On the other hand, approximately 18 million acres of fallow land can be cultivated to ensure the country’s food security. This untapped potential has the potential to increase GDP by approximately USD 34 billion.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
