Ghulam Idris Khan
Agriculture is the back bone of Pakistan’s economy and it plays a central role towards contribution in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) with about 43 percent labor force employed in this sector. Agriculture sector is also source of foreign exchange earnings and major instrument in poverty reduction. Many industries are dependent on Agriculture produce like Flour mills, sugar industries, cotton ginning and Textiles, Tobacco, solvent extraction unit of edible oils and other food processing units.
The deadly corona virus emerged in Pakistan when the major and staple food crop, wheat is ready for harvest, In Pakistan wheat fields cover an area of 8.8 million Hectares which produce around 26 to27 million tons of wheat. The government of Pakistan has fixed the target of 8.25 million tons to be procured from the current winter wheat, in which Sindh provincial food department will procure 1.4 million tons while the rest be procured by Punjab Food department and Pakistan Agriculture Services and Storage Corporation (PASSCO). Government has allocated Rs 380 Billion at the support price of Rs 1400 per 40 kilogram. Wheat is the sources of raw material of about 1400 registered and unregistered flour mills operating in the Pakistan, beside thousands of small and big grinding machines (CHAKEE) functioning in village levels.
Country has already in recent past witnessed shortage of wheat flour due to the mismanagement of the government top functionary sitting in the Capital hills Islamabad. This crop is very sensitive and instrumental in the lively hood of the farming community, land owners and peasants. The rural population is looking toward it to get income and to feed their families. This crop also feed urban community as 30 percent population living in cites use it in shape of flour or” ATTA”. The harvest of the wheat is over now and procurement of the crop is in progress. it has been reported that sindh government has procured about 50 percent of its target while punjab has been able to procure 30 percent so for. On the other hand ministry of National Food Security and Research (NFS&R) has asked the provincial governments to accelerate the pace of procurement and the federal minster has express its concerns.
However the ministry of National Food security and Research is silent over its own organization PASSCO progress of wheat procurement from sindh and punjab so for. The positive news coming from the field operation area that private sector is offering more price to the farmers over and above the support price.
As the government first priority is to fight pandemic which is absolutely appreciable, however wheat procurement may not get hit as well. Sindh government may make comprehensive arrangement for the procurement of 1.4 million tons of wheat, out of estimated 3.8 million tons. As the Sindh has set for good harvest of wheat, the private sector be also facilitated to pick the farm produce at reasonable price.
The government has only to procure 25 percent of the wheat production, the farmers sells the remaining crop in open market, if the supply chain disrupts, what will happen? The Sindh and Federal government is to face to face onCovid19 pandemic handling both have now locked horns over tackling the menace of locust invasion in the country.
Now come to Punjab province which is the main hub of agriculture activities and large number of feudal lords make their way to the parliament comes from this agriculture back ground.
Punjab is mostly 68 percent of the total agriculture area of country, it produce more than 19 million tons of wheat and provide wheat to the deficit provinces like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Baluchistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gligit Baltistan. Punjab consumption stood at 13 million tons, so surplus production coming from Punjab at the tune of 6.37 tons. Punjab procurement target is 4.5 million tons while PASSCO has to procure 1.8 million tons, they mostly prefer to procure from punjab harvest. Reports in media that due to recent heavy rain the national wheat production target may be short be 1.5 million tons and the procurement agencies in punjab are reluctant to procure damage or wet wheat from the farmers World bank being lending agency is discouraging government sector for massive procurement ,as the lender looked to cut purchases from farmers by two third to take pressure of the provincial public finance and stop wastage.
Now the question that in current scenario will it be possible to produce and procure the targeted quantity. As on one side there is fight against corona virus and the other side locust swarm is knocking the door , it has been reported by Food And Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the united nation and warned of a potentially serious food crisis this year in several regional countries, including Pakistan due to locust attacks.
The report titled ‘desert locust situation in Pakistan’. According to the report Pakistan and Iran in the Eastern region are especially prone as locust breeding is taking place in these areas, also due to wet winter this year. The report says’ ‘In Pakistan 38 percent of the area (60percent in Baluchstan, 25 percent in sindh and 15percent in punjab) are the breeding ground for the desert locust, where the entire country is under the threat of invasion if the desert locust is not contained in the breeding region’. The spring breeding will continue in the next few weeks in the coastal and interior area of Baluchastan and thus formed a small swarms.
Towards the end of May population will begins to move from the spring breeding area in Baluchastan and adjacent areas of south east Iran to the summer breeding area along both side of the Indo-Pakistan border. This movement will continue throughout June.”As result, swarms that are not detected or treated in the spring areas are likely to cross Indus Valley and reached the desert area in Tharparker, Nara and Cholistan .in time for start of monsoon rains”.
Consequently, there is potential for a serious invasion to occur in Pakistan at the beginning of summer which is now at the door step. If proper control measure is not adopted, Damage scenarios is immense.The report estimated that losses to agriculture in case of locust invasion Kharif crops can reach about Rs 464. billion” In the midst of additional impact by Covid-19 on health, livelihood and food security and nutrition of the most vulnerable communities and population of Pakistan ,it is imperative to control successfully the desert locust infestation” the report suggest. looking this gloomy situation the Chief Minster of Sindh Murad Ali shah had written letter to Prime Minster Imran Khan on may 1,drawing his attention towards a possible locust attack in different district of the province.
“A massive locust attack is expected in sindh next month” CM stated in the letter. The sindh government has asked the Islamabad to provide six aircraft for aerial spray on urgent basis to combat this massive locust attack. The rules of business 1973(as amended),schedule-11 it is functioning of the plant protection Department of the Federal Ministry of National food security And Research (MNS&R) to have aerial spray and locust control. The Department have two wing in this regard a) locust control and survey and b)Aerial wing. what they have done so for or any home work for this locust attack, as it was high lighted in the media again and again. Sure they must have studied with caution the FAO report on the subject, Sindh Agriculture Minister Ismail Rahoo said the provincial government had decided to protest center inaction on the impending locust threat and raised fears that it might turn out to be a bigger issue than Covid-19 pandemic. This locust if not control at right time may hit the Agriculture economy in particularly Sindh, Baluchastan and up to some area of south Punjab, which is not the vote base of PTI government in Capital hill Islamabad.
The Chairman Pakistan People’s Party Bilawal Bhutto, whose party is ruling the Sindh province has express has concern on locust possible attack in tweet. “Federal Minister for food security is again missing in action as locust attack crops across Pakistan. Last year despite our pleas province were left at the mercy of locust’ ‘If the federal government fails to act this is another disaster in the making” Bilawal Cautioned.
