Agri sector contributes 22% to GDP, says Bosan
By Tariq Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD—Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock Sikandar Hayat Bosan Tuesday said agriculture sector provides livelihood for two-third of the country’s population living in rural areas and contributes 22 per cent to GDP.
Addressing the silver jubilee celebrations of Pakistan Agriculture Research Council here at National Agriculture Research Council, which was inaugurated earlier by President General Pervez Musharraf, the Federal Minister said the agriculture sector provides 60 per cent to exports and 45 per cent to employment of the labour force in the country. He said the agriculture sector plays a vital role of sustaining broad-based growth of the national economy, ensuring food security and reducing poverty.
The Minister said under the leadership of President General Pervez Musharraf major policy initiatives have been taken by the government including repositioning agriculture to achieve high growth rate, ensure food security and alleviate poverty through investment in agriculture water infrastructure.
He referred to the agricultural package announced by President Musharraf in 2004 which included number of production incentives for small farmers. The Minister said the package also include mega- projects for improvement of water courses and substantial increase in PSDP allocation from Rs. 3.0 billion in 2000-01 to Rs. 11.8 billion in 2006-07 for investment in agriculture sector.
He especially mentioned the project to line all the 87,000 water courses all over the country at a cost of Rs. 66 billion. The Minister said the credit disbursement has also been increased from Rs. 44 billion to Rs. 137 billion in 2005-06 adding that during the year 2006-07 the target of agriculture loans is Rs. 160 billion.
He said the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock has been working in tandem with the provincial governments and to achieve the goals of growth in the agriculture sector. The Minister said the PARC has undertaken several initiatives to make its research system more efficient, vibrant and responsive to the emerging challenges.
Highlighting the reform agenda of the PARC, the Minister said it also include adoption of PAEC pay scale and performance based promotion and recruitment criteria, degree awarding status for PARC, creation of endowment fund of Rs. 5 billion to provide sustainable source for operational budget.
The Minister said the reform agenda also include setting up a skill development centre for training to youth and farmers in agriculture and agri-business including crops, horticulture, livestock, fisheries, value and supply chain, food technology, farm management etc.
Chairman Pakistan Agriculture Research Council Dr. M. E. Tasneem Tuesday said that the Council has been positively contributing in improving the per acre yield and helping the farmers in ameliorating their problems. He said the scientists of the Council have developed agriculture technologies and innovations which are nationally andinternationally recognised.
He said some of the scientists of PARC have received national and international awards. The PARC, he said, is the only agriculture research establishment in the country which undertake research in all major areas of agriculture including crops, horticulture, livestock, fisheries, and social sciences in an integrated manner and maintains strong linkages with the international and national agriculture research systems..