According to Government regulations and mandates, Future vision of Pakistan’s Agriculture
Irsa Ejaz, Sajid Hanif, Shakeel Ahmad Anjum, M. Usman Tahir and M. Irshad
Bad condition of agriculture:
From several decades, Pakistan’s agriculture is declining to a greater extent. Due to less or no investment, no resource availability and hence, no inputs, yield of about all crops in Pakistan is going to decrease to the greater extent. No reliability on water resources is also a major cause of the bad condition of agriculture. Unequal distribution of water and land also causes hindrance in the growth of agriculture in all the regions of Pakistan. Due to fixation of only four crops and same policy for all the crops is also leading agriculture towards destruction badly.
Government policies for agriculture sector:
Actually, Government policies are same for agriculture sector from several decades. No new policies are formed from many years. First of all marketing is the major problem for the farmer while the government is constructing good quality roads only in cities but there is no attention of the government towards the major marketing problem.
The price of all the inputs reaches the heights of the sky but there is no proper selling price at the end of the season of the crop and farmer suffers a great loss after suffering the major problem of transfer of commodities from one place to another.
Secondly, there is no research plan in the process of policy development in Pakistan and hence, the economic plan also diminishes.
Domestic procurement is at fixed support prices of the entire crops especially major crop wheat (mostly farmers grow in all regions of Pakistan).
Policy gap issues in Pakistan:
Farmer requires quality seed, water, fertilizer, farm machinery, research and extension for maximum output or money generation because this is the only way to earn and the maximum production for the farmers in Pakistan. This statement is well known by our Government but the same recommendation for same issues given by our government leads towards little success. And a lot of policy gaps in various forms is describing below.
There is no improved and certified seed for the small farmer in Pakistan. IPR is the main issue for taking good quality seed just due to no regulation in burgeoning seed industry with less or no R/D capacity.
Without soil testing, fertilizers applied by the farmer and no awareness about the recommended dose of each fertilizer and chemicals, are also a gap in policies related to agriculture. Fertilizers not available on time enforce the farmer to apply extra dose while prices are more and the farmer is unable to afford. There is also unbalance in nutrient mix fertilizers and this is a major issue due to policy gap.
Fluctuation in water availability destroys the major crops like maize; rice and sugarcane in rain-fed areas while these crops need excessive water for more production. Fewer services of mechanization in developing inadequate market is also a major policy gap issue.
Taxes are allowed only on land area holding by the farmer while it must be according to the income generates from that land area. This is also the main constraint due to policy gap in Pakistan that farmers having more land area pay out more taxes while very less income generates from that area.
According to present policies, future vision of agriculture:
Due to present situation/condition of agriculture, no awareness to the farmer and no policies from several years, agriculture in future will face a lot of problems including water crises, energy crises and high costs of all inputs related to agriculture.
Due to lack of the common platform for the farmers, there will be no content development in agriculture; no partnership will be among the public and private sectors and hence, no institutional capacity will lead towards fewer support facilities.
Present policies or we can say “old policies” from years and backward agricultural systems will make the gap larger in research, extension, and science as well.
What its policies should be? (Recommendations)
Due to change in environmental factors and climate, plants’ requirements are also changing and hence, agriculture needs new policies according to the present environmental conditions.
There is only one association for agriculture and dairy industry in Pakistan which is acting as a bridge among the people in the government sector and farmers. The name of that association is PADFA. This association is trying to improve agriculture sector in Pakistan by providing training to the farmers to raise awareness among the people.
Our farmer needs just clear vision and guidance properly to succeed in future and that vision may be clear only to our representatives and authorities.
Government and PADF association should engage diaspora and plan for the growth strategies to vitalize the domestic commerce in Pakistan.
Government should defend people’s life as well as properties and also settle their disputes for the healthy agricultural environment.
The government should be the caretaker of the people in the agriculture sector (producers, entrepreneurs, workers, labor, savers, and consumers) to make their life ideal.
According to recommended policies, future vision of agriculture:
If government think plan and then take action properly and make new policies for the development of agriculture. Our goal is feasible and hence clear to the world that one day we will be the best nation in economic point of view and defeat all the powers of the world.
Agriculture will be the largest employment and then income generating sector of the world’s economy. Crop cultivation and pastoral herding of animals in rangeland will remain at the foundation of Agriculture.
According to recommendations and addition of new policies in agriculture will help in the development of cities as well as the whole nation and then our industry will help to get leisure in the life of all the farmers, middle man or stakeholder and Government of Pakistan.
Conclusion:
Pakistan’s bad condition can be changed into better and improved even into well-developed Pakistan. But we need a little effort and attention of the government to get awareness about our farming system so that we may play an important role in the economics of our country. As our country, Pakistan depends mostly on agriculture. More than 25% of GDP is coming from agriculture. If our government take decisions to make new policies or amendments in present policies, agriculture in Pakistan will make its economy better to high level to make the country as the best country of world in agriculture sector after few decades in the future.
