World advanced in agriculture, we wasted nation's time: PM

Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says that the world has made great progress in agriculture and has gone ahead, but we were wasting the nation's precious time.

A meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif considered aligning the national agricultural policy with contemporary requirements and utilizing young talents. The meeting also considered formulating a coherent action plan under the guidance of experienced experts.

Addressing the meeting, Shehbaz Sharif said that Allah Almighty has blessed Pakistan with fertile land, capable agricultural experts, and hardworking farmers. Pakistan was once self-sufficient in cotton and wheat, but now per-acre production of wheat is less than that of developed countries.

He stated that Allah has blessed us with opportunities and capabilities, but the development that should have been made in the agricultural sector has not happened. The world has made great progress in agriculture, and has gone ahead, but we were wasting the nation's precious time.

Shehbaz Sharif added that the opinions and suggestions of the relevant parties should be listened to carefully to move forward in agriculture. Pakistan has immense potential in the domestic industry and SMEs. There is no adequate storage arrangement for off-season commodities. Small plants have not been set up for the value addition of off-season commodities.

The participants of the meeting emphasized the need for comprehensive reforms and adopting a science-based strategy for agricultural development, and proposed improving the availability of smartphones and internet in rural areas under agricultural digitalization and artificial intelligence.

The meeting also proposed creating a central database of farmers and introducing blockchain and QR code systems for the delivery of agricultural inputs.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed to immediately form working committees in this regard and submit actionable recommendations within two weeks.