“In rural areas, approximately 68% of the population depends on agriculture for food and livelihood,” said Muhammad Azeem Tariq.
Creating policies to stimulate the economy without transforming the agriculture sector is pointless. As a result of research, technology, and innovation, Pakistan’s agricultural landscape will change, allowing farmers to become more knowledgeable and competitive.
“In rural areas, approximately 68% of the population depends on agriculture for food and livelihood,” Muhammad Azeem Tariq, an expert at the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), told the media. “Our economy is currently in shaky shape. The country must transition from this situation to one in which agriculture is the primary contributor to economic growth. As a result, Pakistan’s economic policies must be tailored to the current situation and world order.”
Pakistan has an abundance of resources and fertile soil. A large portion of our population is involved in agriculture, either directly or indirectly. Agriculture is the foundation of our economy and a significant contributor to food security. It accounts for roughly 60% of Pakistan’s foreign exchange earnings and contributes roughly 22% of the country’s GDP, according to the NARC expert.
Azeem stated that several issues have plagued the agriculture sector, including a lack of research, inadequate technology, high input costs, a lack of water, a reduction in the amount of land for farming, long-hour load shedding, insufficient advising services, the use of cultivable insecticides, adulterated and expired pesticides, indirect links between farmers and the main market, and traditional agricultural methods.
“As a result, increasing agricultural output necessitates the adoption of novel strategies. Because of its strong forward and backward links with the secondary (industrial) and tertiary (services) sectors, it can play a critical role in promoting economic growth,” he added.
“In order to increase agricultural productivity, the government must strengthen and fund our research organizations. Private companies should also be involved in order to increase output,” Azeem said.
“Macro and micro structural changes may aid in transforming our agriculture sector. There is no doubt that a lack of agricultural research facilities has far-reaching consequences, such as poor implementation of long-term objectives, resource misallocation, and mismanagement with numerous economic and environmental externalities,” he added.
“To increase agricultural productivity, the government must establish more research institutes or fund those that already exist so that they can conduct new research,” he said.