Balochistan's food and agriculture resources: a benefit to real GDP.

Byline: Syed Fazl-E-Haider

There is a lot of potential for development in the agriculture livestock and dairy sectors, as Balochistan can earn a substantial amount of income by exporting the products in these sectors to the lucrative markets in the food deficit region - Afghanistan and Central Asia.

Balochistan provides greater opportunities for trade and commerce to all countries of the region by virtue of its strategic location. It has tremendous potential for development of horticulture, particularly the fruit farms. The land along coastal belt has enormous potential for development of shrimp farming and processing projects, which can play a vital role in fisheries development in the province. For its huge mineral potential, the province is known as museum of minerals. As a regional hub of trade and commercial activity, Gwadar port can provide a solid base for the economic progress of the province. There is need to exploit huge export potential in main sectors of provincial economy.

The province is known as the fruit basket of Pakistan because of its production of high-quality fruits in bulk. Export of fruits is considered a big source of foreign exchange. Pakistan enjoys robust position in world apple market. It is worth mentioning that a very good quality apple are available in Pakistan, 80 percent of which are produced in Balochistan, but unfortunately no treatment plant for their preservation was established by the successive governments in the past. The strategically located province offers access to new resources and markets and the prospect of more rapid growth. The province's geo-strategic location makes it the most attractive for transit traffic to the landlocked Central Asian Republics (CARs).

Gwadar port would provide Afghanistan and the CARs the shortest and fastest access to the warm waters of the Arabian Sea. The positive steps to increase fruit production and export from the province will increase the country's foreign exchange reserves. The treatment plants serve the purpose of fruit preservation during off-season. The country will earn huge foreign exchange if these plants are established at different districts in coastal Balochistan.

Animals are traditionally kept for meeting household milk and meat needs. Livestock development is linked with poverty alleviation in the province, as its 70 percent population is directly or indirectly involved in livestock rearing activities. The province is rich in livestock resources...