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Issues & Analysis
Corporate farming
THE Federal Minister for Food and
Agriculture, Khair Muhammad Junejo, has recounted the
advantages that would accrue, if an agricultural country like
Pakistan were to adopt corporate farming, and has disclosed
that the government has decided to go ahead with the scheme.
He has assured that the interests of the small landholder, who
represents an overwhelming section of the farming community
and constitutes the backbone of the economy, will be fully
protected, which has been our concern whenever we have had the
occasion to comment on the issue of corporate farming. The
government would have to ensure that the local or foreign
investor does not start buying up the small farmer and
displace him. Side by side with introducing corporate farming,
he should be encouraged and helped to adopt modern methods of
cultivation which are within his means. A small cultivator
does not have the resources to go in for mechanisation and
other expensive methods like land levelling through laser,
which could improve the productivity of his land and bring in
greater dividends. His interests and those of the country can
be best served by acquainting him with affordable practices
like an economical use of water and its treatment, if needed,
the need for using quality seed, land-levelling through
conventional means, soil testing, the optimum use of
fertiliser and pesticides, etc. For this purpose, the
government's agricultural outfits which have trained staff
need to play an active role by holding seminars and workshops
on the spot to enable him to appreciate the benefits of
accepting these practices.
Another factor, apart from the small farmer's poverty and
ignorance, which has kept us tied to old methods of
cultivation with the consequent poor results, has been the
bane of absentee landlordism. A few exceptions aside, the big
landlords have steadfastly ignored the recent scientific and
technological breakthroughs in the field of agriculture which
have been responsible for enriching the forward-looking
farmers in other countries. Especially in certain parts of
Pakistan, they have paid no heed to preserving the quality of
land and let an excessive quantity of water be used which came
as an acute shock during the recent spell of drought.
One hopes that once the foreign investors step in and
introduce corporate farming on modern lines, our big landlords
would take a cue from them and do their bit in revolutionising
agriculture in the country. Even as the current production is
markedly lower than in other countries, a lot of it goes waste
in poor storage and transportation. With his expertise, the
large investor would be able to take care of these problems,
bring vast wastelands into cultivation and also undertake the
establishment of agro-based processing and manufacturing
industries leading to value addition of the produce as well as
earning foreign exchange through exports. However, the
interests of the small farmer should in no case be sacrificed.
the nation July 28
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