PM orders reforms to modernise agriculture

According to Dawn, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered on Saturday that agricultural research institutions be made more active, with the goal of advancing the farm sector and matching research work to global benchmarks. He chaired a meeting in Lahore to review reforms in the sector and the progress of policy measures meant to raise farm output and support growers.

Sharif said that helping small and medium-sized farmers boost output per acre was a leading government priority, and he instructed certified firms to make sure farmers get quality seed. He also asked for a full national framework to estimate crop production, to be built with all stakeholders involved. Smaller farmers, he stressed, should gain fully from reforms intended to bring innovation into agriculture.

Students who came back last year after agricultural training in China should be put to full use, the PM directed, and merit and transparency must come first when choosing students for this year's training in China. The Prime Minister also approved reforms at the National Agricultural Research Centre and the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, asking for early completion and greater effectiveness. A briefing from the Ministry of National Food Security and Research covered reform progress, wheat demand, cultivated area and estimates for the coming crop.