LAHORE - The businessmen and agriculturists on Sunday has said that a new era of development, good governance and justice will start in the province after the assumption of the office of Chief Minister by Mian Shahbaz Sharif. Vice President SAARC Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Chairman business panel FPCCI, Iftikhar Ali Malik urged Chief Minister Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif to take revolutionary steps in the agriculture sector to overcome food shortage in the country. He said that Mian Shahbaz Sharif was a good administrator with a vast experience who could meet the challenges quite easily. He also said that the chief minister should send his cabinet members to rural areas in order to redress the grievances of the people. Former president Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) and LCCI Iftikhar Ali Malik further said that Pakistan's economy could be improved by increasing per acre crop production in the agriculture sector particularly rice, sugarcane, cotton and wheat. Malik also suggested the chief minister to ensure seed, fertilisers, standardised pesticides and water supply to the farmers, which would help overcome the food shortage and would strengthen the economic conditions of the farmers. He said that Mian Shahbaz Sharif was a brave and hard working leader therefore, he should take some bold steps to cut down the agriculture inputs to provide relief to the farmers. "Agriculture sector is the backbone of the country's economy and I hope that Shahbaz Sharif could make Pakistan self-reliant in the food by focusing on the agriculture sector in Punjab," he added. He said that the agriculture sector was facing sever shortage of water at present and the new CM should utilise all available resources in this regard. Iftikhar Ali Malik also said that the businessmen community would support the new chief minister in order to achieve the economic and food targets and would provide all possible assistance in this regard. He also suggested the CM to focus on livestock farming and dairy development to improve the milk and meat production in the province, which would not only help improve the living standard of the public in rural areas but also provide them job opportunities so that they could earn reasonable income instead of migrating to urban areas. To me personally, he said, the new CM has great potential to overcome all crises including energy, food and law and order besides initiating new development projects to make Pakistan as real Asian Tiger. Meanwhile, President Pakistan Kisan Board Sardar Zafar Hussain urged the chief minister to announce considerable subsidy on electricity, agriculture equipments and fertilisers to provide relief to the farmers.