The Rs 82 billion plan for the agriculture sector unveiled by Mehboob Sultan of NFSR appears to be very ambitious, particularly when it has to be implemented within a short period of two to three years, but seems necessary in view of the fact that other countries in the region and elsewhere have increased their agricultural productivity immensely while we have not been able to make much progress in the area despite comparable quality of land and the hard work our farmers have been doing. Besides, it needs to be highlighted that agriculture sector in Pakistan plays a crucial role in the economy as it contributes about 19 percent to GDP and absorbs 42.3 percent of the labour force. It is also an important source of foreign exchange earnings and stimulates growth in other sectors like manufacturing and services. It may also be recognised that it is not the first time that the government is focusing on supporting small and marginalised farmers and promoting innovative technologies in this sector. The past governments, realizing the importance of agriculture sector, had also tried to develop this sector by initiating a number of measures like crop diversification, promotion of mechanisation and high value crops, reduction in mark-up rates, enhancement in agriculture credit, subsidised fertilizer prices and cheap electricity for agri-tube wells. As a result, this sector's performance has witnessed a moderate growth over the years but not to the extent as desired by the government or as per the requirement of the economy. One of the prime reasons for the slow growth in agriculture sector despite a number of initiatives could be the reluctance of small farmers to adopt new technologies. However, there is some difference between the present and previous approaches to agriculture boost. The new measures have been taken on the recommendations made to the Prime Minister by MNFSR. The Ministry has promised to make all- out efforts in this regard and international experts will be engaged to set up new facilities and upgrade existing research institutes while extension services at all levels will be provided to gain better production with less input. While these are good steps, it will need to be ensured that the funds earmarked for the purpose are optimally utilized and richer farmers with big land holdings are not allowed to pre-empt the resources meant for small farmers and reduction of poverty. The net result of these measures could, however, be assessed after a period of three years or so as promised by the Minister.
The Rs 82 billion plan for the agriculture sector unveiled by Mehboob Sultan of NFSR appears to be very ambitious, particularly when it has to be implemented within a short period of two to three years, but seems necessary in view of the fact that other countries in the region and elsewhere have increased their agricultural productivity immensely while we have not been able to make much progress in the area despite comparable quality of land and the hard work our farmers have been doing. Besides, it needs to be highlighted that agriculture sector in Pakistan plays a crucial role in the economy as it contributes about 19 percent to GDP and absorbs 42.3 percent of the labour force. It is also an important source of foreign exchange earnings and stimulates growth in other sectors like manufacturing and services. It may also be recognised that it is not the first time that the government is focusing on supporting small and marginalised farmers and promoting innovative technologies in this sector. The past governments, realizing the importance of agriculture sector, had also tried to develop this sector by initiating a number of measures like crop diversification, promotion of mechanisation and high value crops, reduction in mark-up rates, enhancement in agriculture credit, subsidised fertilizer prices and cheap electricity for agri-tube wells. As a result, this sector's performance has witnessed a moderate growth over the years but not to the extent as desired by the government or as per the requirement of the economy. One of the prime reasons for the slow growth in agriculture sector despite a number of initiatives could be the reluctance of small farmers to adopt new technologies. However, there is some difference between the present and previous approaches to agriculture boost. The new measures have been taken on the recommendations made to the Prime Minister by MNFSR. The Ministry has promised to make all- out efforts in this regard and international experts will be engaged to set up new facilities and upgrade existing research institutes while extension services at all levels will be provided to gain better production with less input. While these are good steps, it will need to be ensured that the funds earmarked for the purpose are optimally utilized and richer farmers with big land holdings are not allowed to pre-empt the resources meant for small farmers and reduction of poverty. The net result of these measures could, however, be assessed after a period of three years or so as promised by the Minister.