National Assembly to debate on Pakistan’s agro-economy today

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly will initiate an exclusive debate on Pakistan’s agro-economy from Wednesday, reported The News.

A day earlier National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser said that agriculture is and would remain central to Pakistan’s economic development in the foreseeable future and it was vital to hold an informed debate to identify the pathways for uplifting Pakistan’s agro-economy with a particular focus on access, inclusivity, sustainability and food security.

The speaker urged the members of the treasury and opposition benches to discuss agro-economy as a matter of national food security, decent economic growth and poverty alleviation beyond party politics.

Separately the Speaker has convened a National Dialogue on Agriculture on March 12 which will be attended by MNAs, representatives of the provinces, private sector, international organisations, ambassadors, technical experts and other relevant stakeholders.

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The dialogue, being organised with the support of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), is intended to facilitate an informed debate in the assembly and promote policy coherence and coordination at all levels of government.

The National Dialogue on Agriculture aims to identify the constraints and obstacles which continue to impede progress in realising Pakistan’s full agricultural potential. The dialogue is part of the endeavours of the National Assembly Special Committee on Agricultural Products to assist in accelerating the national agricultural growth rate.

Outlining the aims of dialogue, Qaiser stated that policy dialogue, coherence and coordination was vital to building political momentum for necessary reforms and policy shifts in the agriculture sector of Pakistan. He added that dialogue was convened to identify short and long-term policy measures to effectively address structural constraints and market failures.

Qaiser, who heads the National Assembly Special Committee on Agricultural Products, underlined the need for improving farmers’ profitability, improving national agricultural output and identifying the pathways for enhancing Pakistan’s agricultural export value and competitiveness.

Originally published in The News