UMERKOT: Growers and farmers of Sindh have not been owned by elected representatives and they have failed to resolve issues of growers.
There is a need of introducing new breeds and seed varieties to cope with food-security and climate change.
Senator and Chairman Standing Committee for food security and research Muzzafar Hussain Shah addressing inaugural ceremony of a project worth Rs 5 billion identified as Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) aiming for strengthening and up-gradation of agriculture and livestock research system at Arid Zone Research Institute (AZRI) Umerkot said he has approved this project to enable growers and farmers of arid area of Umerkot and Tharparkar to stand on their own feet and address their issues of food-security.
He said there was need to introduce new breeds of livestock, species of trees, bushes, plants, grasses, herbs, shrubs, fruits and vegetables, cereals, including guawar, millet, moth etc to resist droughts and benefit Thari people.
He pointed that 52 percent area of Umerkot was arid, thousands of inmates of this area migrated along their families and livestock, but entire attention is paid to Tharparkar, but this area remained neglected, therefore there was a need for such project and this 5 years project would change lives of people with economic revolution.
He recalled since 1985 to 2013 he had once CM Sindh and had other portfolios but he never heard about AZRI Umerkot, but during these three years this centre has been made functional and has introduced variety of species and experiments.
Federal State Minister for Food Security and Research Ayaz Ali Shah Sherazi said growers of Sindh have been living miserable life and economically poor due to absence of certified seeds and sale of spurious and sub-standard pesticides including other agricultural inputs.
He called upon Sindh government to initiate crackdown against such companies busy in preparation and sale of it. He said Umerkot would become an icon and identity of Sindh due to services of this centre. He assured to have a campus of Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi at Umerkot.
Yusuf Zafar, Chairman Pakistan Agriculture Research Council said land of Umerkot and Tharparkar was fertile. Where through drip irrigation, sprinkles and other methods on saline and fresh water kitchen gardening, various fruits, cereals, Thari traditional crops could be grown.
He said they have carried out an experimental of fish farming in Thar on saline water, which has given good results than expected.
He announced to plant 80,000 acres of bananas in Sindh through tissue banana method to make Pakistan able to export fruit.
Grower Ghulam Akbar Dars complained that world has been working on introduction of new breeds in livestock but government has failed in this regard.
He pointed out cattle development farm Nabisar has 5,000 acres of land and sufficient staff but it has been non-functional for decades and has never worked for livestock development or introducing any breed or taking efforts to save endangered species.
Dr Attaullah Pathan, Director AZRI Umerkot said this centre would ensure breeding, increase production of livestock, skill development of farmers and growers, new varieties would be introduced, rehabilitation of local trees and grasses, herbs and shrubs would be ensured and 100,000 trees would be planted across arid area of Umerkot and Tharparkar.
Setting up of 10 laboratories at Umerkot, 7 solar tube-well, a modern library, auditorium, glass house for tree sampling, camel disease and research as well as production unit at Umerkot and 40 acres orchard grafted forest will ensure better results.
Earlier, Muzzafar Hussain Shah and Ayaz Ali Shah inaugurated PSDP Project.
Published in Daily Times, October 10th 2017.
