President Dr. Arif Alvi said on Thursday that modern technology and cutting-edge cultivation practices were essential for increasing per-acre yields of major crops and boosting the agriculture industry.
Speaking during the Farmers Day ceremony, he underlined the importance of modern technology and innovative crops such as BT cotton in boosting the country’s agriculture sector. Farmers earned a record Rs. 1,100 billion from the production of their crops, he said, which was encouraging.
During the COVID 19 pandemic, he said, the agriculture sector greatly aided the country’s economy, and the people’s food demands were covered thanks to the farmers’ efforts.
He noted the poor per acre output of wheat, cotton, and other main crops was a problem when discussing difficulties facing the agriculture sector. He emphasized the importance of using drip and spray irrigation instead of flood irrigation to address the issue of water scarcity.
He said that the existence of intermediaries in agriculture supply chains was reducing farmer profits, and that middlemen were profiting at the expense of farmers.
Farmers may get better rates for their products by using a cell phone and IT apps, he suggested, similar to how fishers got good prices for their produce in the past.
He also noted that while urea prices on the international market were quite high, local manufacturers kept urea prices low, and that the government kept a stock of urea to keep prices in check.
He explained that an increase of one million cotton bales will add Rs. 100 billion to the national economy. He praised the farmers’ community for abundant rice, wheat, and maize crops last year.
He asked for the plant breeder act to be implemented in order to improve the variety of seeds available and ensure their trustworthiness. President Alvi stated that the cattle sector has a lot of room for expansion, and that the government has decreased customs and taxes to help this sector grow.
Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar and Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Fakhar Imam also spoke at the event, assuring farmers that the government would address their concerns.
According to the minister, the government would set up a panel to identify measures to modernize the farm industry. He emphasized the importance of increasing agricultural research funding.
Khalid Khokhar, an agriculture expert, and Fawad Mukhtar, the Chief Executive Officer of the Fatima Group, discussed agricultural difficulties.
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