Senate Committee passes the ‘Pakistan Animal Science Council Bill’, urges action on food security & agriculture challenges

ISLAMABAD, August 20 (SABAH): Senator Syed Masroor Ahsan chaired the meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research held on Tuesday at Parliament House.

The Senate Committee unanimously passed the bill titled “The Pakistan Animal Science Council Bill, 2023.” Senator Rana Mahmood ul Hassan, one of the bill’s movers, stated that the bill aims to formulate an apex body for the vital sectors of Animal Sciences degrees, mainly Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry, to develop and flourish responsibility and provide healthy and organic food for the people of the country.

Furthermore, the committee deliberated on food insecurity and low agricultural yield across the country. Chairman PARC, Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali, informed that food insecurity is majorly due to rapid population growth, urbanization, and climate change. As of now, the country’s population stands at 217 million and is expected to reach 350 million by 2050. Pakistan currently requires 70 million tons of food annually, and demand will reach 130 million tons by 2050. In the last 25 years, 7% of the population has shifted to urban areas, which is another factor contributing to food insecurity and low agricultural yield. Unfortunately, in Pakistan, 19.6 million tons of food is being lost in parties and hotels. PARC is conducting research to introduce varieties that bear maximum yield and drip irrigation systems to save the country’s water. The committee recommended that an awareness campaign be launched to reduce food loss across the country.

While deliberating on Climate Smart Agriculture, the committee expressed dissatisfaction with the details provided by PARC. The committee recommended that cost-effective modern technologies be introduced, which could benefit small farmers so that declining agriculture could be saved. The committee also directed that details of farms allocated in Islamabad and the yield incurred from them be provided.

The committee expressed displeasure over the provision of details by the Cotton Commissioner regarding the 3.5 billion cess liabilities owed by APTMA. The committee directed that a comprehensive briefing on cess dues, along with information on cotton varieties, be presented in the next meeting.

Moreover, the committee was briefed by the Plant Protection Department Karachi on the damages caused by locusts in Sindh and Balochistan. Dr. Tariq Khan, DG Plant Protection Department, apprised that, in 2019-20, damages were incurred on 7,045 hectares in Khushab, Punjab, and around 675 hectares of cotton fields were damaged in Dadu and Shaheed Benazir Abad districts of Sindh. As of now, there is no imminent threat of locusts this season, he added. To make the department effective for future threats, the department has approved 2,421 new posts. Senator Aimal Wali Khan opined that the department should focus on enhancing mechanical support instead of employing 2,421 people, as the country is undergoing economic challenges. The committee recommended that new aircraft be provided to the department, as the 1950s Bimar aircraft are unable to perform the task.

The meeting was attended by Senator Poonjo Mal Bheel, Senator Abdul Wasay, Senator Rana Mahmood ul Hassan, Senator Aimal Wali Khan, Additional Secretary for the Ministry of National Food Security and Research Aiysha Khalid, Chairman PARC Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali, Cotton Commissioner Dr. Zahid Mehmood, Director General Plant Protection Department Karachi Dr. Tariq Khan, and other senior officials from the concerned departments.