BACKGROUND:

have to be significant adjustments in food production and marketingandfood security policy.

In order to facilitate the decision making bodies, the policy guidelines for the purpose of orientation and sensitization on the related issues as well as key recommendations have been formulated through a Focused Group Discussion with experts and representatives of government and civil society institutions. It covers key issues, suggestions and recommendations to review and formulate people-led policy to explore full potential of agriculture sector to improve socio-economic conditions of Pakistan. SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION:

Agriculture is considered to be a primary source of livelihood, social welfare and economic security for most of the population of Pakistan. Nearly a quarter of Pakistan'sGOPand 44 percent of total employment are generatedin agriculture,which contributes substantially to exports and growth. Over67% of the rural population depends on agriculture. Although, Pakistan is an agrariancountry but the agriculture sector has suffered neglect over the past six decades. Land distribution, mechanization of agriculture, cooperative vis-a-vis corporate farming, increased use of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides, absentee landlordism, landless peasantry, agricultural loans, new crop varieties and most importantly, water management are among the issues that are most discussed and least resolved in our country. Another challengefor the Governmentof Pakistan is to ensure food security for the rapidly increasing population of Pakistan. The rise in prices of foods is consuming a major shareof people'sincome. While most of the poor and deprived people still live in rural areas as well as urbanization is introducing a

Despite66% source of income in rural areas, agriculture is least priority in Pakistan. According to a study of PIDE, every year agriculture sector transfer 1 billion dollars in urban economy. We must realize that we cannot achieve economic development without agriculture. Pakistan has natural infrastructure and environmentfor agriculturewhich needsto be utilizedfor optimum benefits. The industrial growth in Pakistanis largely seen in agro based areas which were ultimate in the country which has the best climate and infrastructure for wide rangeof crops. Water plays a pivotal role in the country's economy. Although about 87 per cent of water is used in the agriculture sector,the industry, commerce and public health are also greatly affected by the quantity and quality of the availablewater. Percapita availabilityof surface water has been gradually dwindling in the country.
It is very obvious that the British developedthe Indus Basin into a cherished land for food and cash crops through land redistribution, canal colonization and a state-of-the-art water management system of its time. The irrigation network they laid out is a marvel of civil engineering but later caused environmental, drainage and soil exhaustionproblems.

different form of poverty which costs very high to take benefits availablein mega cities. This means there will

The Indus Basin Treaty, brokered by the World Bank

between India and Pakistan, radically changed the economies of Indian Punjab and Rajhistan at the expense of almost total elimination of two huge rivers, the Ravi and the Sutlej. The absence of water from these two tributaries of the Indus not only reduced the downstream flow of the Indus beyond Punjnad but also had an environmental impact that is not fully understood yet. Options other than classical solutions like constructing big dams should be fully explored because this is not only a matter of inter-provincial discord but also a threat of indeterminately large proportions to the natural environment in the medium to long run. The enormous resources such huge projects consume can be redirected and reallocated to find technical solutions that respect our ecology, topography and indigenous knowledge. The task of irrigation system operation and management is in the hand of provincial irrigation departments. The government is spending heavily on the operation and maintenance of the irrigation system every year, but a shortage of fund is still the major problem. Due to following issues, it is facing inefficiency and degradation: Low conveyance efficiency at 45 percent and deferred maintenance cause both considerable water losses and deterioration of major infrastructure (barrages) illegal pumping from canals and inaccessibility to water by the tail-enders result in unequal water distribution; the lack of transparency of the actual water flow causes inter-provincial water allocation clashes and inefficient water management systems; supply-driven system cannot accommodate farmers' specific needs; cost recovery is low because of bureaucracy and lack of accountability by the service provider (Irrigation Department); water logging, salinity, pollution, and land degradation

are becoming significant; and storage management and water scheduling should be improved for water shortages during the winter and oversupply during the summer necessitate Coming to the issue of land management, there is a dire need to revisit some long held beliefs. We have five categories of farmers/landholders including Feudal, Capitalists, Family farmers, share croppers, and wage workers. The policy should propose appropriate strategies for land distribution and management for each category. The cash economy penetrated long ago and market rules have made their way into the feudal strongholds. There is a need for industrializing agriculture by introducing things like capitalization of the agricultural economy converting agricultural land into industrial units, as it were, and turning farmers into unionized wage labour, and distributing state-owned land among the landless who commit themselves to a criterion of entrepreneurship and experimentation. This would give farmers and people in allied trades a choice between two decent options. One would be to become a salaried professional farmer whose interests are safeguarded, like the employee of a company, and the second option would be to be a small entrepreneur who is provided with ample opportunities by the state to prosper and grow by expanding his market. There are huge tracts of cultivable wastelands available in this country which can be used for fruit orchards, vegetable farming and other crops. Government must encourage agro-based industrial development it will expedite the growth of economy in country. The agro-based industry should be developed more expansively, as in case of dairy and food products, it should go beyond packaging and pasteurization, which means producing world quality cheeses, condiments, garnishes, jams, jellies, spreads, etc. In terms of international marketing of its agro-based products, Pakistan must seek its due share in newly emerging markets of Latin America, Africa and the Far

East besides its traditional trade partners in Europe and North America. Farmers of Pakistan are surviving in very tough conditions without any relief from public sector and competing with the countries who are heavily subsidizing their agriculture sector. Creditors do not provide credit because land ownership record is poor. It is still managed by Patwari and Tahsil. Computerization is needed for effective land's record keeping. Technology transfer is not focused in agriculture sector. Farmers cannot afford costly equipment, incentives must be given. In Pakistan, farmers are badly suffering from pesticide poisoning. Appropriate measures must be taken into account for mitigating the risks of pesticides including but not limited to the awareness programmes for farmers on Government Act on usage of pesticides, provision of medicines in rural dispensaries for treatment in emergency, safety measures during the use of pesticides etc. NGO sector can play an active role of mobilizing and organizing farmer groups/organizations in order to orient and train them on modern technologies of agriculture as well as carry out research based advocacy to claim and protect their rights from the state. RECOMMENDATIONS: The agriculture policy must be formulated by provinces. It seems rationale because Pakistan lies in arid and semi arid zones with the cropping pattern in line with climate conditions for suitable crops. The policy must aim to eliminate middle man from agriculture marketing system by introducing a mechanism to facilitate farmers through institutional support. The government should buy all crops to supply local distributors and surplus can be stored to backup shortages or exportto other countries. Agriculture policy must address related issues and concerns for different classes of farmers including

feudal, capitalists, small farmers, share-croppers and wage workers, live in rural areas. As agreed by two leading parties of Pakistan under "Charter of Democracy" the allotment of agriculture lands to military officers must be investigated to nip the new era offeudals into bud. The policy must focus on integrated rural developments which include social sector development, education, public health and infrastructural development. Agriculture research and development has been a weak area which must be strengthened with extent that its basic research should meet the modern challenges like genetic engineering and bio technology and it also include adoptive research in accordance with local requirement. Agro-based industry should be given special incentives to intake surplus and to process and supply atthe time of shortages which will not only add value but also create job opportunities in rural areas to reduce poverty. The preference must be given to those industries based locally. A fair taxation regime to ensure financing for research and facilitating regulation must be introduced. New indigenous developed seed varieties and fertilizer

composition should be promoted. The parliament should come up with such legislation which promotes agricultural sustainability and a possibility of decent livelihood for the citizens of Pakistan. An effective legislation is essential on the land redistribution and it must be implemented in its true spirit. Legislation on water management, particularly to save water by curtailing losses of irrigation system through lining of canals and watercourse and plantation of trees on the banks of canals and watercourses. In addition, conservation of water through traditional ways like gandhjat and Karezat and the smaller dams should be made. The farmers must be given subsidies on the agricultural inputs and equipments. A special attention must be paid in the field of research

in agriculture; so that the sector flourishes and the citizens of Pakistan prosper and enjoy decent and dignified lives.

DISCLAIMER

The opinions expressed are those of the author's and do not necessarily reflect the views of UNDP (SDPD), IPU and The Parliament of Pakistan