Challenges to agriculture sector negatively impacting wellbeing of farmers: EVCBC.

Islamabad -- The agriculture sector in Pakistan confronts problems at different levels, which is negatively impacting the wellbeing of farmers and perpetuating poverty. The observation was made by the multi sectoral Ehsaas Value Chain Building Committee (EVCBC) which convened by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Sania Nishtar. Eight federal ministries and four provincial ministries participated in first meeting of the multi sectoral Ehsaas Value Chain Building Committee. Participants agreed that problems linked to agriculture are complex, and creation of value chains, and private sector investment will help farmers with fragmented and small land holdings to come out of poverty. During the consultative meeting, all stakeholders and experts gave detailed input on the major challenges being faced by agriculture sector. It was deliberated that although agriculture is the backbone of our economy, but the sector confronts problems at different levels particularly elite capture, limited technical capacity, poor awareness, access to finance constraints, extractive middlemen perpetuating the debt trap, lack of fiscal incentives and lack of a coherent value chain building policy. Hence, farm productivity, crop yield, food security, exports, livelihoods, farmers' wellbeing are negatively impacted, and poverty is perpetuated. The Committee will convene again shortly to deliberate on a...