Islamabad: In a bid to bolster the agricultural sector during challenging economic times, Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain announced the Federal Government’s commitment to support farmers through various initiatives. The announcement came during a meeting of the Federal Committee on Agriculture, which convened in Islamabad to discuss measures for ensuring food security.

According to Radio Pakistan, the Committee, which plays a vital role in overseeing the nation’s food security strategies, observed that the current food availability in Pakistan is generally sufficient. During the meeting, Rana Tanveer Hussain stressed the importance of modernizing farming practices, adopting climate-smart techniques, and developing efficient marketing systems to link farmers with both domestic and international markets.

The minister highlighted the ongoing implementation of the Interim National Wheat Policy 2025-26, approved by the Federal Cabinet last November, as a measure to support the farming community and promote private sector investment in the wheat value chain. As part of the Prime Minister’s Economic Transformation Agenda, a comprehensive agriculture sector roadmap has been developed in collaboration with provincial governments and the Green Pakistan Initiative. This roadmap emphasizes mechanization, seed system reforms, cotton revival, value addition, better access to finance, and export growth.

Additionally, the establishment of the National Agri-Trade and Food Safety Authority aims to standardize food safety, improve quality assurance, and enhance the competitiveness of agricultural exports. The Committee, while reviewing the performance of Rabi crops for 2025-26, estimated wheat production at 29,310 thousand tons from an area of 9,385 thousand hectares.

The Committee also set production targets for essential Kharif crops for the 2026-27 season, including 9.17 million tons of rice over 3.39 million hectares and 9.77 million tons of maize over 1.5 million hectares. Targets for sugarcane, cotton, and other crops such as Mung, Mash, and Chillies were also established, underscoring the government’s prioritization of agriculture as a key to boosting the nation’s economy and improving the livelihoods of its people.