To maintain food security for the nation’s security, experts have urged the government and important stakeholders to reform and modernize agriculture as well as to control population growth.
The experts made this known at the conference on “Food Security for Pakistan” held by the Centre for Aerospace & Security Studies (CASS) on Thursday.
Director at the Centre for Aerospace & Security Studies , Dr. Zia Ul Haque Shamsi emphasized that Pakistan, the fifth-largest state in the world and a country with a predominately agricultural economy, was regrettably dealing with major food insecurity challenges for a number of reasons.
He pointed out that while attempts were being made to enhance farming practices through contemporary techniques, improved seed development, and resource management, this was especially troubling.
The Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Syed Fakhar Imam, said that in order to provide food security for its expanding population at an affordable price, Pakistan still had a long way to go.
He bemoaned the fact that, out of the five main crops, only wheat was produced on 36% of the land, which was the source of the issue. Sadly, he said, Pakistan has not succeeded in creating high-yield agricultural varieties.
Despite possessing five significant agri-universities and related colleges, he contended that these institutions fell short of worldwide standards and had obsolete curricula.
According to him, the population boom is a significant factor in why Pakistan now imports wheat. The agro-economy of Pakistan is being strengthened by mechanization, modernization, agricultural extension, human resource development, and research, he noted.
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