KARACHI (March 22 2004): The Union of Small & Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) has appreciated the identification of various areas in agricultural sector by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture & Livestock for investment.

The ministry has identified storage, research, corporate farming, fruits & vegetables, quality control laboratories, seed sector, water sector, livestock sector, marketing, integrated pest management & acquiculture.

Zulfikar Thaver Convener Unisame while appreciating the identification, advised SMEs to benefit from the support offered by the ministry and drew the attention of the ministry to the omission of the renewable energy sector which includes Solar energy, wind & Waste matter and requested it to include renewable energy as the twelfth item.

He highlighted the importance of solar energy on farms and also of windmills and cow dung and other waste matters for the purpose of manure and the manufacture of bio gas.

He pointed out that wind mills are widely used in Holland and other European countries and the technique of solar energy has advanced tremendously.

He said that Unisame by virtue of its affiliations with world SMEs, is in a position to promote the concepts and with the help and support of world organisations is capable of lending support to SMEs in Pakistan.

In this respect he emphasised the need of co-ordination between the Small & Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA), the Pakistan Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (PCSIR), SME Bank, SME Leasing, & other Development Financial Institutions (DFIs) & agricultural banks.

He felt urgent need for an SME Bureau which can gather and channelise the efforts of the various ministries and the SME institutions.

Courtesy Business Recorder