Agri imports bill, food security problem rising, says Mian Zahid.

Chairman of National Business Group Pakistan, President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum, and All Karachi Industrial Alliance, and former provincial minister Mian Zahid Hussain on Friday said the import bill for agricultural products is rising while the issue of food security is also becoming grave.

More than half of the population of a country with fertile land and the world's best canal system covering almost 25 thousand kilometres is facing malnutrition as agriculture production has been on the decline for years, he said.

Mian Zahid Hussain said that agriculture imports during the first two months of the current fiscal have almost doubled than the corresponding year to 1.5 billion dollars while the import of urea will also require a hefty amount of foreign exchange.

Talking to the business community, the veteran business leader said that agriculture is the backbone of the economy but it has never attracted the attention of the policymakers which has resulted in its continued fall resulting in a serious food security problem.

He said that ignoring the issues confronted by farmers have left them poor and that the country cannot progress unless the farmers are comfortable.

Policymakers are obsessed with other sectors and non-issues while farming communities are left on the mercy of middlemen, loan sharks...