Food security information system in works.

ISLAMABAD -- A 'future-ready food security information system' is being developed at the Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFSR) to monitor the supply, demand, and prices of essential agricultural food commodities and their seasonal availability for policy feedback and decision-making.

The ministry intends to integrate its proposed Pakistan Food Security InforAmation System (PFSIS) with the UN FAO's Food Security and Nutrition InforAmation System (FSNIS), with the aim of establishing a single source of information which will be used by all internal and external stakeholders. This is to be achieved by designing an easy-to-use decision support system (DSS) with projection and forecasting models using both current and historical data.

The MNFSR has requested the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to conduct a technical assessment of the possibility of integrating its food security portal with the FSNIS. The technical assessment will support the ministry in adopting the best way forward for integrating the two systems and provide direction for setting up the single-source data bank and DSS, linked with a web portal for monitoring, decision and policy making, and sharing of reliable information with its stakeholders and the general public.

Official sources told Dawn that ADB has agreed to provide technical assistance to the ministry since the business requirements of PFSIS are higher-level statements of the goals and objectives or needs of the enterprise for an intended system.

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