Pakistan is an agricultural country. Agriculture is the backbone of the country’s economy. It contributes 23 percent of GDP whereas around 45 percent of workforce is directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture for its livelihood. However, it is matter of concern that agriculture productivity is very low in Pakistan.
Food security is one of the main challenges the world is facing today. Pakistan needs to acquire new technologies and adopt good agricultural practices for production to ensure food security for the public at large. Agriculture innovations, new varieties and all other technologies must be shared among farmers to develop agriculture on modern lines.
According to a media report, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s economy is based on agriculture, as 80 percent people live in rural and pre-urban areas, where around 85 percent of the population directly or indirectly earns their livelihoods from agriculture. Agriculture and livestock contribute around 21 percent of the provincial GDP having equal share of agriculture and livestock. In the recent years Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s economy has been badly damaged because of unrest in the region. The province is short in food commodities, hardly producing 40 percent of the local requirements and meets the remaining requirements on import.
KHAN FARAZ,
Peshawar, April 13.