Food import bill topped $8b last year, NA panel told

The country imported wheat, sugar, cotton, edible oil and other agricultural commodities worth $8 billion last year, a subcommittee of the National Assembly’s Special Committee on Agricultural Products was informed on Friday. The subcommittee met here with its convenor Shandana Gulzar in the chair. The meeting was attended by Nafisa Inayatullah Khattak, Ayesha Ghous Pasha and others. The meeting discussed the “Agriculture Growth Strategy”. During the meeting, Farrukh Ansari, a consultant, stressed the need for working hard on livestock and horticulture. Ansari said that if the seed quality and pesticides were improved, the agricultural sector could be likewise improved. Ansari also said that agricultural products, including wheat, sugar, cotton, edible oil, worth more than $8 billion were imported last year. The consultant added that crop insurance was also a big issue. “The challenge for us is to incorporate or prioritise the agricultural short-term goals.” Shandana Gulzar said that the committee would play its role in increasing the development budget for the agricultural sector in the future.

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