Karachi: Pakistan is amongst the countries facing highest food inflation in the world and this grave food inflation in an agricultural country is nothing but the negligence of our rulers, said Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor here Sunday?
He said wheat flour crisis in once again resurfacing in the country, especially in Punjab province, the grain basket of Pakistan. He said we have not only to import wheat but also pulses, cooking oil and other edibles. He said we also import urea and other agro inputs. He said it is a shame that an agricultural country is dependent on imports to meet its food needs. He said the food inflation is rising with every passing day but the government is least concerned to tackle this sensitive issue.
Altaf Shakoor said the successive governments have failed to make dams and water reservoirs to make a green in the country. He said China and Saudi Arabia are making their deserts green, but in Pakistan our rulers are turning our fertile lands barren due to poor irrigation and water storage policies. He said if drip irrigation system is used we can make every inch of our land green and productive. He said due to failure to make dams we face floods in one season and droughts in the other. He said this is nothing but mismanagement of our natural resources.
PDP Chairman said if we just improve our agricultural sector we can easily break the debt trap of IMF, World Bank and other international lenders easily. We have huge youth bulge, vast lands, flowing rivers, sunny weather and what not. All the factors that are needed for progress and prosperity are already there, but the corrupt ruling mafia is not interested to use these productive factors in a right combination to make Pakistan a self sufficient country in agricultural products.
Altaf Shakoor demanded drastic land reforms and distributing idle state lands amongst landless peasants. He asked to abolish fuedal states and fiefdoms. He said it is high time to modernize our cropping systems by using drip irrigation and other latest agri-technologies. He asked for opening more modern agriculture colleges and technical diploma institutions in the width and breadth of the country to train our rural youths in modern agriculture techniques.
He said a fast track rehabilitation of the flood hit villages and farmlands is imperative, especially in Sindh province to revive badly hit agricultural sector. He said the federal and provincial governments are not paying attention in a swift rural development to raise living standard of our farmers who are the backbone of our economy. He asked the government to provide solar panels to poor farmers on free of cost basis for their tube-wells to boost crop production. He said soft loans for purchase of seed and fertilizer should be given to the farmers of flood hit areas. He said with coordinated efforts we can reduce neck breaking food inflation in Pakistan and make our country self sufficient in food grains and other edibles.
