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Intensive farming vital for food security:
minister
ISLAMABAD (April 29
2004): Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and
Livestock Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind has said
intensive farming is necessary for food security
and check hunger and malnutrition.
"Not only increase in production is needed, the
quality of production and environment concerns are
also to be addressed by scientists and experts,"
the minister said addressing the inaugural session
of the workshop on tradition and non-traditional
approaches on intensive farming and resource
management here on Wednesday.
We have to focus on one issues that is high and
quality production with less harm to environment,
he said adding, this is possible when more
non-traditional production methods are also to be
encouraged.
This may include use of remote sensing equipment,
research on the use of latest varieties and
developing of varieties in short time.
He said research institutions such as ICARDA have
produced varieties in 5 years, reducing
traditional time requirement of 12 to 15 years.
Water is also precious commodity. Harvesting of
water is necessary by building small catchments in
the arid and dry areas. We have also to adopt
non-traditional production methods for high
yielding crops and livestock production, he added.
The minister further said protection of
environment and soil are also important.
Such protection can be achieved by balanced use of
water, fertilisers and pesticides.
So the scientists and researchers have many
challenges to transform present farming of age old
traditional systems into modern ones to employ
resources efficiently, he said adding, we
acknowledge that there are financial, educational
and natural constraints, but improvement is to be
brought in the systems by all the stakeholders and
the government will play its key role.
Expressing confidence on the scholars, researchers
and policy makers to make collective efforts to
increase productivity in the country, the minister
said this is a matter of importance that in our
future research and training activities we must
give more focus to practical aspects and problems
confronting agriculture.
Courtesy Business Recorder
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Pakissan.com; Advisory Point
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