ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan has stressed the need to improve agriculture production system on scientific lines to enhance sustainable food production.
He said that agriculture sector contributed 23 percent of GDP whereas around 45 percent of the work force was directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture for its livelihood. The minister was addressing at inaugural session of a conference and exhibition on Agriculture Dynamics in Potohar Region 2016 organized by Office of Research Innovation & Commercialization (ORIC) of Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (PMAS-AAUR) in collaboration with State Bank of Pakistan.
He highlighted the importance of developing new products and technologies to promote agriculture sector and said that there was dire need for promoting the agri sector by concentrating on crop enhancement, livestock, fisheries and dairy sectors development by creating linkages with industry.
Highlighting the importance of water availability in the country, the minister said that development of water reservoirs and dams in Pakistan was need of the hour.
He informed that Pakistan was the 5th largest producer of milk and stressed the need for focusing on value addition of agricultural and dairy products for profit maximization. He informed that there was a lot of potential in the region of potohar for fruit industry.
