Islamabad, President Asif Ali Zardari has called for providing a reasonable wheat price, making timely interventions, and streamlining the procurement process to protect the interests of farmers. He emphasized the need for support and encouragement to farmers, which he believes will help increase wheat production in the country.
According to Press Information Department, the President expressed these views during a meeting to discuss issues related to wheat procurement. The meeting was attended by the Minister for National Food Security and Research (NFS and R), Mr. Rana Tanveer Hussain, and senior officials of the Ministry of NFS and R and PASSCO. During the meeting, the President was briefed about the issues faced by farmers regarding wheat procurement and the distribution of procurement bags (Bar Dana).
The President noted that farmers had struggled to obtain a reasonable price for their wheat crop and had encountered difficulties in acquiring Bar Dana. He highlighted that approximately 65% of the country’s population resides in rural areas and that providing adequate wheat prices to farmers would help boost the rural economy. President Zardari underlined the importance of maintaining strategic food reserves to ensure food security and meet the future food requirements of the country.
He advocated for extending soft loans to the private sector to construct silos and modern wheat storage facilities to meet the food needs of the growing population. Additionally, he stressed the need for credible data regarding crops to make timely policy interventions and accurately predict the country’s future food needs. The President also suggested that the agriculture sector should be deregulated to facilitate better management and growth.