Govt should dedicate one of the SEZs to food processing: Jawad.

KARACHI -- Vice President of Pakistan Businesses Forum (PBF), Chaudhry Ahmad Jawad has called upon the government to dedicate one of the special economic zones to food processing and value additions specifically. As optimising the potential of the agriculture sector is contingent upon a paradigm shift from supply-led production to demand-driven high value agriculture. Speaking to webinar on focus agriculture on Monday, he said approximately, 80.39% of total exports from Pakistan were industrial products and 19.08% were agricultural products, which was unfortunate. In this regard we must focus

on increasing value addition and develop a strategy for diversification. 'Our farmers must get better farm income by doubling of exports. This is the right time to increase our productivity and diversify to value addition. We must designing specific strategies to improve organic agriculture and value addition in food items,' he said. Ahmad Jawad said that organic farming is the way forward for agriculture in Pakistan. The increasing trend of organic agricultural produce is on the rise and necessary steps must be taken to promote organic farming and improve our organic identity globally. Similarly we should have a

properly designed agricultural export policy, which has provisions of incentives...