LAHORE, Feb 22 (APP): Pakistan can save more than USD 08 billion in food imports bill annually by ploughing more arable lands under sugarcane and pulses cultivation.
Convener of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry(FPCCI) Regional Committee on Food, Shahid Imran, stated this in a meeting with farmers’ delegation led by Chaudhary Muhammad Asif Arain from Sahiwal, here on Sunday.
Shahid Imran urged the policy-makers to formulate long-term agricultural planning aligned with market demand to ensure sustainable growth of the food sector. Promoting local cultivation, he observed, would not only conserve foreign exchange but also generate rural employment, strengthen agro-based industries, and contribute positively to Pakistan’s economic stability and self-reliance.
According to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics data released a couple of days revealed Pakistan’s food imported bill surged to USD 5.502 billion during the first seven months of current fiscal year marking a 19.27 percent increase from USD 4.613 billion in the corresponding period last year largely driven by higher arrivals of sugar and edible oil.
The Convener said that despite possessing fertile soil and favorable climatic conditions, the country continues to rely heavily on food imports, placing unnecessary pressure on national reserves. He said expanding the cultivation of pulses such as lentils, gram, and beans would significantly reduce import dependency while strengthening food security. Similarly, increasing sugarcane production through modern farming techniques and improved seed varieties could enhance domestic sugar output and stabilize prices in local markets.
Shahid Imran stressed the need for government support in the form of farmer incentives, access to quality inputs, efficient irrigation systems, and awareness programmes to encourage crop diversification. He added that adopting scientific farming methods and mechanization would improve per-acre yield and profitability for farmers.