Pakistan should introduce long term Agri policy to escape food autarky-Zahid Gardezi

MULTAN,April 3rd:The President Mango Growers Association Pakistan, Syed Zahid Hussain Gardezi has said that Government should introduce long-term and sustainable agricultural policy for the next decade to compensate the growers by controlling the prices in the country to escape from the food autarky.New Policy should envisage the boosting up of production, per acre yield by adopting modern technology. In a Press statement issued here on Sunday Syed Zahid Hussain Gardezi said that since Pakistan is an agricultural country and its economy entirely depend upon the agriculture and agro-based industry.Our Policy makers should recommend incentives for the growers like provision of farm inputs on concessional or reasonable rate,tax-free farm implements, duty fre export of agricultural machinery. He said that on one hand the farmers are distressed at the high cost of inputs, water scarcity, load shedding and lack of applied research in agriculture with an added insult to their efforts in shape of marketing distortions and callous role of middleman while on the other hand it has been ceremonial fixing of support price of essential food commodities. It is a stark reality that large highly impoverished segment of our population find it extremely difficult to feed themselves at the cost of food available and governments have to resort to gimmicks of “Sasti Roti “ or various Income support programs. He said that the higher cost of produce is mainly due to lower production averages and other sundry avoidable constraints, as such the farmers find agriculture a deficit trade and many have abandoned their ancestral livelihood while the new generation of farmers are least fascinated in this trade. He said that there has been no realistic agriculture policy and there are flaws in priorities set by the rulers for this sector which is being attended on adhoc basis. It has become a mandatory policy requirement of our governments to beg aid and expertise from developed countries to help us produced more wheat or grow quality mangoes in a country which is wholly an agrarian economy, while we have never taken initiatives to explore our own acumen or given priority to find out reasons why even in good mango seasons growers make losses. He said it is very unfortunate that to make living comfortable for elite class of our society we have built palatial housing schemes even on agriculture lands but have willfully ignored technology transfer to small and medium farmers and agriculture research in comparison to non productive extravaganza and Hi Fi living standards for the affordable.Zahid Gardezi said that the impending disaster of drought like situation has yet not unnerved our hierarchy as we see no headway towards establishment of large water reservoirs. He said that country’s security is directly related with its prosperity which is more required in the rural sector of Pakistan and it is now crucially important to take stock of the situation apart from the acknowledged benefits of a democratic system in the Country. There is a need to help growers and farmers rise, have respectable livings and also be able to feed the unaffordable and become major players in country’s economy. It is time to make nation stand on its own feet which can only happen when the common man on the streets and villages is not addicted to monetary grants but provided equal opportunities across the board. He said creating Model Farms of the affluent is gross disservice to agriculture and has delivered negligible benefit to the agriculture sector except gratifying projects needs.Zahid Gardezi said policy have never ascertained that agriculture sector in Pakistan is characterized by strong inequality in the distribution of assets. About 2 percent of the households control more than 45 percent of the land area.Syed Zahid Hussain Gardezi said that Big and influential farmers have also captured the benefits of agricultural growth and incentives. Agencies and departments have mostly focused affluent model farms to vindicate progress. He said that Agriculture finances and services should be transparently stretched for the large majority of Small and Medium farmers and islands of excellence in shape of “Clusters” should be promoted to vindicate the continued neglect. He said Mango Growers Association is honestly committed and highlighting the perils and delight of our world class mangoes since late eighties during the out gone century and we are glad our government have only realized this phenomena when appreciated by Hillary Clinton, late Mr. Holbrooke, David Miliband and all others who visited the Mango City of Pakistan – Multan and interacted with us on various forums.