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ISLAMABAD, Oct 9 (APP):Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA) will meet on October 11 (Wednesday) to review the output of major and minor crops during the Kharif season and fix the production targets of Rabi crops 2024 for fulfilling the local dietary requirements as well as exports.
The high-powered committee is mandated to oversee strategic measures for ensuring food safety and security in the country and will be held under the chairmanship of the Minister of National Food Security and Research Dr Kausar Abdullah Malik, said a senior official in the Ministry of National Food Security and Research.
Talking to APP here on Monday, he said that among others, the meeting would also be attended by the senior officials of the provincial food and agriculture departments, State Bank of Pakistan, Zarie Taraqiatie Bank Limited, National Fertilizer Development Center, Pakistan Meteorological Department, Indus River System Authority and member food security and climate change of Planning Commission of Pakistan.
The major objective of the meeting is to enhance coordination to consolidate the gains and ensure further progress in all sectors of agriculture development for maintaining food safety and security in the country, he added. The other departments and agencies involved in the supply of agriculture inputs such as seed, fertilizers and pesticides would also attend the meeting and apprise about the availability position of all inputs during the season, he added.
The FCA will deliberate on the production of major cash crops of Kharif season like cotton, maize, sugarcane besides reviewing the output of minor crops including oil seeds and pluses.
Besides, the committee will set the sowing targets wheat, which is major cash crops of the Rabi season and vital source to fulfill the dietary requirements as well as fixing the pulses production targets including gram, lintel, onions and tomatoes, he added.
He informed that the output of major Kharif crops including cotton and rice witnessed encouraging trend as cotton arrival from Sindh Province has witnessed about 135 percent increase as compared the crop arrival of the corresponding period of last year.
Meanwhile, the cotton arrival from the Punjab Province in local markets has recorded about 72 percent growth as compared to the arrival of the same period of last year, he said adding that the momentum in cotton production was mainly attributed to fixing minimum intervention price at Rs8,500 per 40 kg as well as ensuring availability of quality seeds during the season.
Initiation of best crop management practices and coordinated efforts to eradicate pest attacks also contributed in enhancing per-acre cotton output during the season, he said adding that over 50,000 farmers were provided crop management training.