July 1, 2021: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Food Security Jamshed Iqbal Cheema says the PTI government is committed to make Pakistan a net exporter of food.
Addressing a news conference in Islamabad on Wednesday, he said the Prime Minister has assured to provide all the required funds to achieve this objective.
The Special Assistant said 62 billion rupees have been allocated for food security in the budget, however, the amount will be enhanced to any limit on requirement.
Sharing details of the Agriculture Transformation Plan, he said the program envisages protecting growers, consumers, and local industry by introducing the latest interventions for achieving sustainable agricultural development and reducing the reliance on the imported food items.
Jamshed Iqbal Cheema said the government will set the direction right of agriculture, pursuing a coherent policy in collaboration with provinces.
He said 4.5 billion rupees have been earmarked in the budget for cotton. He said the Trading Corporation of Pakistan will purchase cotton to bring stability in cotton prices. Jamsheed Iqbal Cheema said the government plans to provide 80 percent local cotton to the textile industry. He said the textile industry is confident to increase exports up to 26 billion dollars by the end of this government tenure.
Responding to a question, the Special Assistant said services of foreign scientists and researchers will be hired to transform the agriculture sector. He said 10 billion rupees have been allocated for agricultural research.
He said the latest technology will also be acquired from different countries particularly China for the purpose.
To another question, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema said mobile labs are being introduced to ensure the quality of milk in cities.
