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Strategy for National Agricultural Development horizon 2010
FAO
has recently assisted the Government of Pakistan in preparing a Strategy for
National Agricultural Development Horizon 2010 as a follow-up to the World
Food Summit Plan of Action. The strategy was adopted by the Cabinet on 16 June
1998 after thorough review and consultation at different levels in the
government.
The strategy highlights the food security situation,
agricultural sector development, the government's sectoral objectives, major
constraints and strategic options. The government's main policy objectives are
to bring about growth with adjustment in policies,
increased savings and investment and improved physical infrastructure; to
facilitate human resource development; and to protect the environment.
The
role of the private sector should be expanded while the government presence
will be increasingly focused on selected areas where the private sector cannot
work efficiently. Agriculture will play a critical part in achieving these
objectives, but agricultural growth needs to be broad based, including the
rural poor, and to be environmentally sustainable.
The main strategic options facing the government relate to:
trade and pricing policies; the extent of
intervention in input and output markets; access to resources; and public
expenditure. Trade and price policies could aim at full liberalization, with
domestic prices and production patterns mainly determined by the world prices
and comparative advantage. Alternatively, some interventions and controls may
be necessary in order to ensure domestic food security and to stabilize
domestic prices.
The programme targets and goals
contained in the strategy, aiming for reaching the projected figures of per caput consumption of 3 055 kcal in 2010, would require a substantial increase in
consumption of the main food items. The projected increases are summarized
below:
Projected Increase in Food Demand by the year 2010
|
Commodity |
Demand (million tonnes) |
Increase (%)
|
|
1994-97 2010 |
|
Wheat |
19.2 |
24.8 |
29 |
|
Rice |
2.8 |
3.8 |
36 |
|
Vegetable oil |
1.7 |
2.6 |
53 |
|
Sugar |
2.8 |
4.9 |
75 |
|
Milk |
20.0 |
34.5 |
73 |
|
Pulses |
0.9 |
1.4 |
60 |
Most of the increased demand for the main food commodities would be met by
increased production, exce in the case of
vegetable oils, sugar and pulses where domestic production would lag behind
demand a substantial import would be necessary. In Pakistan the scope for
increasing arable land. particula irrigated
land, is very limited. As a result the bulk of the increase in production will
have to come frc increased yield as shown
in the following table:
Projected Increase in Food Production and Sources of
Growth
by the year 2010
|
Commodity |
Demand ( Million Tones) |
Increase (%) |
|
1994-197 |
2010 |
|
Wheat |
16.8 |
20.6 |
22 |
|
Rice |
3.9 |
4.9 |
26 |
|
Vegetable oil |
0.5 |
0.74 |
48 |
|
Sugar |
2.6 |
4.0 |
54 |
|
Milk |
19.6 |
33.2 |
69 |
|
Pulses |
0.8 |
1.4 |
7. |
The strategy has identified main areas for technical
assistance from FAO, including: policies and institutions in the irrigation subsector, with particular emphasis on ways
to improve efficiency, operation ai
maintenance and increased private investment; improving the credit system better
to meet the investments needs of the poor,
particularly for livestock, inputs and machinery; strengthening the land
registrar system; and targeting food
subsidies to the poor.
Food and agriculture organization of the
united nation
October .1998
Views presented here are of those
of the writer and Pakissan.com is not liable them.
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