LAHORE (February 07 2004): Pakistani growers are keen to increase their interaction with the farmers of India so as to promote co-operation in agriculture sector between India and Pakistan.

Muhammad Sadiq Khan Khakwani, President Kissan Board Pakistan (KBP), told Business Recorder here on Friday that growers of Pakistan and India are facing marketing-related problems in the international markets.

In order to face the WTO-related problems and to safeguard the "Basmati" title of Indo-Pak rice, joint strategy is need of the hour, he added.

Sadiq was of the view that interaction of Pakistani as well as Indian farmers should be increased for technology transfer and sharing of knowledge.

He further said that a delegation of progressive Pakistani farmers should visit India to explore the areas in which bilateral co-operation could be enhanced.

The KBP President said that the government should sponsor this visit. He said that growers of Pakistan are anxiously awaiting government support in this regard.

In order to check hunger and poverty, people to people contact and mutual co-operation between the two countries is direly needed.

Sadiq also said that with increased interaction between farmers of two countries agriculture-related conflicts, especially water conflict would be resolved in an amicable way.

Courtesy Business Recorder