Islamabad, Minister for National Food Security Rana Tanveer Hussain announced that the government aims to boost agriculture-based economic growth to benefit the nation’s poor. The announcement came during his chairmanship of the federal Committee on Agriculture in Islamabad.

According to Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Minister Hussain highlighted Pakistan’s vast potential in agriculture, livestock, and fisheries sectors. He emphasized the need for efficient utilization of production resources through the adoption of modern technologies, the establishment of effective marketing systems, and the reduction of trade barriers to achieve sustainable economic growth.

Minister Hussain also mentioned ongoing government efforts to support farmers by providing inputs at affordable prices and ensuring better prices for their produce, thereby reducing the gap between production costs and output prices in favor of farmers.

The Committee reviewed the performance of the Rabi crops and reported that wheat production for the current year is estimated at 29.69 million tons from an area of 9.6 million hectares, marking a 5.4% increase over the last year. Other crop productions such as onions, tomatoes, and potatoes were also discussed, with onion production estimated at 1.92 million tons, tomato production at 627.47 thousand tons, and potato production at 8.1 million tons.