THE Kisan Portal, meant for the farmers, is a specific category within the Pakistan Citizen’s Portal. It helps the voices of poor and small farmers reach the corridors of power, and one hopes that it will serve the purpose well.

Approximately 90 per cent farmers hold small pieces of agricultural land. They pay a high price for buying materials from the market to complete the process in time. They work day and night to grow and cultivate their crops, but are affected in several ways. When these poor farmers take, say, their sugarcane crop to the sugar mills, they are made to wait in long queues. Moreover, they get low price for their produce compared to the powerful farmers. It is the fundamental right of the small farmers to receive due price for their crop. If the farmers receive the amount they deserve, their productivity will increase.

Unfortunately, Pakistan has reduced its spending on agricultural research, which has also affected its productivity. Europe, for instance, is producing milk six times more than the other countries. Pakistan, on the other hand, imports dry milk despite being one of the largest producers of milk in the world.

Better produce and value addition are critical for the growth of the farming community, which will directly translate into the growth of the national economy and the country at large.

Besides, there are not enough dams and reservoirs that can help the farmers get enough water and utilise the uncultivated land in the country.

The government’s efforts to empower the farmers and address their concerns, as such, deserve to be appreciated.

Muna Manzoor
Turbat

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2021