ISLAMABAD (Syed Javed Hassan Shah): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed the
commitment to provide all necessary facilities to develop the agricultural sector and enhance agricultural production.

Chairing a review meeting on the matters related to the Ministry of National Food Security and Research in Islamabad Monday, the Prime Minister termed agriculture as the backbone of the national economy.

The Prime Minister said young agricultural researchers from across the country should be engaged for the advancement of the agricultural sector. He also directed to take strict and swift action against companies involved in the business of substandard agricultural seeds.

Shehbaz Sharif further instructed the acceleration of measures to boost the production of edible oil in Pakistan to save valuable foreign exchange spent on its imports.

He directed the activation of research work in the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council at the earliest. He said promotion of farm mechanization across the country should be ensured in collaboration with provincial governments, private sector, and other stakeholders.

Regarding fruit and vegetable production, the Prime Minister stressed youth training for value addition and the provision of easy agricultural loans. The government would provide all facilities for the progress of agriculture sector and for increasing agricultural production.

The Prime Minister also ordered strict action against the companies involved in the business of sub standard crop seeds. He instructed that steps to increase edible oil production in Pakistan should be speeded up so that precious foreign exchange spent on edible oil import should be saved.

He said research work in Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) should be expedited and also directed that farm mechanization should be promoted all over the country in collaboration with the provincial governments, private sector and other stakeholders.

Besides, he ordered the swift resolution of all necessary issues related to the dissolution of PASSCO.

The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction with the development of a strategy to digitize the entire supply chain for agricultural exports, from farms to ports.

The meeting was briefed that the establishment of the National Agri-Trade and Food Safety Authority is in its final stages.

A laboratory conforming to European Union and international standards for testing agricultural commodities has been established at the HEJ Center, University of Karachi.

It was apprised that a National Ministerial Forum on Agriculture has been formed to foster coordination between the federal and provincial governments regarding the agricultural sector.

Drafts of national policies related to seeds, agricultural biotechnology, and organic food are in various stages of approval.

Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanvir Hussain, Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzaib, Advisor to Prime Minister Dr Tauqir Shah, Governor State Bank Jamil Ahmed, Chairman Federal Board of Revenue Arshad Langrial and high level officials attended the meeting.