PESHAWAR:Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan has termed the development and strengthening of agriculture sector as one of the priority sector of his government and said that the incumbent provincial government is making concerted measures under a well-planned strategy to develop the agriculture sector on modern lines with the aim to be self-sufficient in agricultural products and to provide self-employment opportunities for the people of the province.
He has further said that there is a great deal of potential to boost agriculture, livestock, diary farming, fisheries and other allied sectors in the province adding that the provincial government is taking result oriented steps to effectively use this potential to boost the economy of the province.
He expressed these views while talking to Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Food Security and Research, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema who called on him here on Wednesday and discussed with him matters related to various initiatives in agriculture sector in the province under Prime Minister Agriculture Emergency Program.
Besides, Provincial Minister for Agriculture Muhibullah Khan and Secretary Agriculture Muhammad Israr other relevant quarter of the federal and provincial government were also present on the occasion.
Matters related to genetic improvement in livestock, olive tree plantation, Trout fish production, poverty alleviation intervention, water harvesting, dairy development, enhancement in agriculture products including fruits, vegetables and food grains in the province with special focus on the newly merged districts came under discussion. Progress on the initiatives taken so far in the province under Prime Minister’s Agriculture Emergency Program was also reviewed on the occasion.
It was agreed to make coordinated efforts at federal and provincial level to make the Prime Minister’s Agriculture Emergency Program and to develop agriculture sector in the province or modern scientific lines. Touching upon the provincial government’s efforts to ensure food security in the province, Mahmood Khan said that the incumbent provincial government had finalized its first ever food security policy as well a workable action plan to implement the Food Security Policy which consists of short term, mid-term and long term initiatives to ensure food security in the province.
He further said that the draft Food Security Policy of the provincial government was a multi-pronged policy which covers all the allied sectors of food security adding that once implemented the policy will help the province to be self-sufficient in agriculture products. Special Assistant to PM termed the draft Food Security Policy of the provincial government as an imported development towards food security and assured the provincial government of all out support from the federal government for the development of agriculture sector in the province.