RECOMMENDATIONS OF NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENSURING SUSTAINED FOOD GRAINS PRODUCTION IN PAKISTAN

[Agricultural Foundation of Pakistan]

NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENSURING SUSTAINED FOOD GRAINS PRODUCTION IN
PAKISTAN

Held on 25th June, 2009


RECOMMENDATIONS
Organized by
The Agriculture Foundation of Pakistan
In collaboration with
Pakistan Science Foundation
National Fertilizer Development Centre,

VENUE: AUDITORIUM, NATIONAL FERTILIZER DEVELOPMENT CENTER, ISLAMABAD


NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENSURING SUSTAINED FOOD GRAINS PRODUCTION IN
PAKISTAN

The seminar discussed issues pertaining to developing sustained food
grain production in Pakistan, including the following subjects:

1) Strategy for Food Security and Export Orientation
2) Potential for Increasing Food Production
3) Potential of Barani Areas for increased Food Grain Production
4) Ensuring Sustained Food Security through Conservation Agriculture
5) Research and Development Needs
6) New Institutional, Management Technological Requirements, and
7) Dimensions, Issues and Options for Food Security in Pakistan.

In the conclusion session a committee was constituted with M. Tahir
Saleem as Moderator. The following recommendations emerge as a result
of the discussions held.

1- Cropping Systems
In order to make crop production sustainable and economical, it was
purposed that the cropping systems should be reviewed to include
legumes. For example, Mung can be brought in rice – wheat crop
rotation.

2- Resource Conservations Technologies
Resource efficiency for cereal crops is low, particularly for water,
energy and fertilizer. A shift is required from conservative
agriculture to conservation agriculture in order to improve the
productivity of water, energy and fertilizer. Different resource
conservation technologies have been successfully tested and applied in
Pakistan. Following technologies may be adopted:

 Improvement of on-farm irrigation efficiency through lining of
irrigation channel, construction of on-farm storage ponds and through
the use of high pressurized irrigation systems.
 Provision of laser leveling equipment
 Adoption of bed and bed & furrow planting
 Propagation of zero-tillage technology
 Utilization of crop residues through precision seeder and straw
chopper
 Brackish tube well water management through the use of such
amendments as sulphuric acid and gypsum
 Introduction of plastic culture in deserts, semi-deserts and arid
regions through flexible gated pipes, tunnel farming, mulch soil
erosion control and drip irrigated system

3- Provision of Quality Seed of Crops
Provision of quality seed is important for improving crop
productivity, both major and minor crops. Particular attention is
required to the quality seed for minor crops, especially including
groundnut, mash, masoor, vegetables. The seed should be provided in
required quantity at reasonable price to the growers. There is a need
for developing a seed corporation for minor crops, maybe located at
Chakwal to cater to the needs of growers in the barani tract.

4- Fertilizer
There are four aspects which require attention: 1) Timely supply, 2)
Balanced and site-specific use of fertilizers based on soil analysis,
3) Assured fertilizer quality (and quantity as claimed on the bag),
and 4) Availability of fertilizers in the remote areas. NFDC being a
specialized government institution for fertilizer, it should look into
them for appropriate action.

5- The use of fermenter
While use of balanced chemical fertilizers, in accordance with the
crop and soil requirements is essential for increasing crop
productivity, the use of fermenter has been found to economies the use
of fertilizers: It will also help add organic matter. It is simple
technology and easy for adoption (Fill the fermenter Tank – 20 x 10 x
5 ft length, width and depth – located close to the tube well, with
livestock and farm residues and leave it for some time, depending on
the type of crop residues. The use of this fermented material along
with fertilizer will help increase crop yield substantially.

6- Agriculture Extension
The agricultural extension services which currently are in a much
diffused state of affairs need be revitalized. A task force
representing federal and provincial governments, farmers,
representatives of Agriculture Foundation of Pakistan and the Editor,
Farming Outlook may be setup to review what is wrong with the current
extension services and how to make them more effective?

7- Marketing
Marketing is a weak area and it needs considerable up grading to help
farmers market their crops, especially in glut sessions, particularly
of vegetables and fruits.

8- Innovative Agriculture
There is need to go to innovative farming which are more profitable,
especially under conditions hostile to normal farming. Considerable
headway have been achieved in research, especially in foreign
countries, which should be considered for adoption in Pakistan.

9- Floriculture
Floriculture is another area which seems profitable to small farmers
who can venture to do floriculture and market flowers to those
destinations where there is a considerable demand.

10- Drip Irrigation
Although already covered under resource conservation of water, drip
irrigation merits special attention as it has been ignored in Pakistan
where as this technique has been used increasingly in many countries
where water is scares. It also helps to economies the efficiency of
fertilizer through fertigation. Unfortunately, Pakistan is still far
behind other countries in the adoption of both drip irrigation and
fertigation.