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Agriculture termed backbone of national economy
The research scholars and academicians of the Country have
said that the Agriculture is the backbone of the national
economy and urged upon the government to pay attention on
agriculture sector by providing subsidy and loans to growers
with a sustainable system.
 They were speaking in one day "Orientation and Consultative
Workshop on Trade Initiatives from Human Development
Perspective in Sindh Agriculture" jointly organised by
Center for Rural Development Communication (CRDC) University
of Sindh and UNDP here on Saturday.
Large number academicians, research scholars from different
Universities, growers, eminent agriculturists, and
representatives of the Trade, Agriculture and Chamber of
Commerce organisations were present. The speakers among
academia and grower organisation were of the view that with
proper facilities the agriculture sector can be developed to
help in the improvement of the economy of the Country.
The scholars urged upon the policy making and planners to
review the policies towards agriculture development and for
the agriculture development the suggestion of the academia
and growers must be viewed. The Vice Chancellor University
of Sindh Mazharul Haq Siddiqui who inaugurated the workshop,
in his presidential address said that agriculture sector is
most neglected sector. He said that it is dire need that
proper attention must be paid of the policy makers and added
that it has tremendous potential to give the nation.
He said that with hardworking and due to day night laborious
work of rural people, we urbanised people live comfortable
life and added that we always easily forgetting the efforts
of the laborious work of the rural people which is injustice
with them.
He said that while preparing of policies we are ignoring
agro-based community and added that we must realise problems
and importance factor towards human development.
He said that important factor in agriculture is livestock
and added that consumption of Milk is more in the Province
of Sindh so much Pakistan, therefore with focus on
improvement of the livestock we can also improve the quality
of life of the human development. He said that main cause of
the migration of the people from rural areas to urban is
lack of basic facilities, which is very harmful and added
that with availability of facilities of the urban areas the
rural areas can be developed.
He underline the need of the education and added that
through education and basic facilities the agriculture
sector can be improved and would give the proper results for
the economic development of the Country.
The Vice Chancellor congratulated UNDP and CRDC for joint
efforts on the important subject. He announced that the
University has allocated Rs 0.2 Million for the CRDC to
undertake different research programmes. UNDP representative
Zubair Faisal Abassi said that globalisation in perspective
of human development is most important. He said that
potential towards human development can be improved through
proper planning and added that with capacity building to
meet the challenges of the globalisation.
He said that the UNDP has initiated different programmes to
share knowledge and interaction with the academicians and
scholars to learn from them about human development. He said
that involvement of the stakeholders in policy making would
give the proper results for development of the economy of
our Country. Eminent HEC Professor at Sindh University,
Former Vice Chancellor of Sindh Agriculture University and
Coordinator of the Workshop Dr Rajab Memon emphasised the
need of the awareness through dialogue and awareness
programmes.
He said that in any area only with collective efforts would
be helpful for the meeting fruitful results of the
challenges. He said that CRDC has been taking efforts to
create awareness among the masses through different academic
and educational events and to collaborating with other
sister organisations and institutes. CRDC Director Professor
Ibadullah Rashidi highlighted objectives of the one-day
workshop and progress of the CRDC.
He said that the CRDC established in 2002 has recently
initiated one semester diploma on communication development
programme. Dean Faculty of Social Sciences Dr Rafia Ahmed
Sheikh while presiding over the first working session said
that during the past three years Pakistan has experienced a
high growth rate and doubling of foreign trade.
Dr Sheikh said that agriculture outputs have provided most
valuable foreign exchange especially in the export of
agriculture based products, in the textile industry, which
gets most of its raw material from agriculture. She said
that Pakistan has a very positive potential for agricultural
exports, which could result in a significant increase in the
income generation. She said that all we need to do is adopt
proper and appropriate policies and technologies in the
agricultural sector to enhance production.
She said that trend towards globalisation presents new
opportunities and challenges' which need to be understood
and to be met with by adopting necessary changes in trade
policies without losing view of the human development
perspective.
Enhancing agricultural production through the provision of
better qualities of seeds Dr Sheikh said that appropriate
and timely irrigation and proper prices for agricultural
products would inevitably result in economic wellbeing
amongst the general population especially in the rural
areas. Dr Sheikh suggested the government to adopts
agricultural friendly policies for the farmers, especially
those with small and medium farm holdings and added that
steps should be taken in trying to eliminate or at least
lessen, corruption, which eats away nation's vital.
President Sindh Abadgar Board and renowned agriculturist
Raees Abdul Majeed Nizamani underlined the need of the
subsidy to farmers and health environment with basic
facilities to the growers in the province of Sindh. He
emphasised upon the government to provide small loans on
easy way to the growers that they can purchase seed and
fertilisers within time and added that management of the
distribution of water should be calculated. He urged upon
the government to abolish the indirect taxes for the
development of the agriculture sector. Zafar Yousifani Vice
President of Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce said that
government must pay attention on export sector instead of
the import.
He said that unplanned imports are the financial burden on
the economical condition of the Country. He said that wheat
shortage in our country is baseless problems created by the
so-called importers and misguided the government. He
emphasised search of new markets for the export of fruits,
vegetables of the country and added that with export image
of the country will be more developed in the business
community of the international market.
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Courtesy: Business Recorder
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