The News | Monday, October 19, 2009
By our correspondent
Karachi Pakistan needs foreign aid for the growth of its agriculture and industrial sectors. We will have to accept some “genuine conditions” of the World Bank, the IMF, and other foreign donors in return for loans because no one gives loans without conditions, said advisor to Chief Minister, Sindh, Sharmila Faruqui. She was speaking as a chief guest at the roundtable conference organised by the Society for Conservation and Protection of Environment (SCOPE) on the theme of corporate farming: A wise development strategy or land grab?” at a local hotel on Saturday. “It is also a misconception that loans from foreign donors would harm the country. The fact is that they bring in prosperity and job opportunities.” She said that the government’s plan to establish corporate farming in the country would boost agriculture sector, produce job opportunity and help the national economy grow. It is a wrong perception that corporate farming will cause water shortage and deprive local farmers of their rights. The corporate farming is getting success in some countries, and we are also committed to making it success in our country, she maintained. The adviser said that the government was working on various strategies to build 12 small dams and introduce corporate farming and drip irrigation system to bolster agriculture sector in the country. Pakistan is already facing water and food shortage so there is need to seek help from foreign countries, especially China to boost the agriculture sector. The government is in talks with China to introduce drip irrigation system in the country which would help to conserve water and ensure its sustainable use, she added. She further said that water sources in the country could not be increased, but they could only be conserved through a well-planned strategy incorporating experts and stakeholders suggestions. The government has provided tractors to the growers in transparent manners besides providing them lucrative incentives to increase crop production, she added. “We have passed a resolution to bring land reforms in the country besides encouraging women farmers”. The corporate farming will raise food production and local people would also get required food items. It will export only extra food stocks to foreign countries, disclosed Faruqui.
