ISLAMABAD
Minister for National Food Security Syed Fakhar Imam has said farmers are being provided Kisan Cards to help them meet their needs regarding seeds, fertilizers and other inputs and so far over seven hundred cards have been distributed.
Imam, expressing his views at the Zarkhaiz Pakistan programme of Radio Pakistan on Wednesday, said that five major crops have recorded significant growth in the country during the last year.
Wheat production last year remained over twenty seven million metric tons but we imported additional 1.9 million metric tons to ensure strategic reserve of food commodities.
He said cotton production last year also witnessed an increase with nine million bales besides increase in production of sugarcane and maize.
He said there is a need to advance our expertise and research-based education in the agriculture sector to compete in the international market with standardization and value-added products.
He further said a commission is also being constituted to accelerate work with the coordination of universities to increase research activities in the agriculture sector. The minister said the government has also signed an MoU with China to modernize the agriculture sector and capacity building of farmers for the export of different fruits and commodities.
He said, “We have also launched cultivation of Soybean to meet our demand of edible oil and seed has been provided for three thousand acres.”
