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PM urges innovative measures to increase food availability
ISLAMABAD, Oct 16 (APP): Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, terming poverty and lack of access to food as the major reasons behind hunger phenomenon, has urged for innovative policy interventions to increase food availability and also enhanced income for the poor by improving their productive activities. In a message on World Food Day, the Prime Minister said there were apprehensions that if collective action was not taken to fight the menace of hunger and lack of sufficient food, the world may be confronted with famines.He said these famines would have far-reaching implications for the harmonious working of nations and societies that may lead to civil wars, strife and law and order problem across the world.
Gilani said the World Food Day 2010 is being observed at a time when the entire world is faced with the prospect of severe food insecurity and widening disconnect between demand and supply.
He said the theme of “United Against Hunger” on the World Food Day this year is most appropriate as it calls for the establishment of global partnerships and alliances to overcome food insecurity.
The Prime Minister said the government had initiated targeted programmes that give the most needy families immediate access to food. He mentioned Benazir Income Support Programme as one such initiative that is geared to help the poorest of the poor to fight inflation and acquire necessary skills for sustainable livelihood.
He said Pakistan is lucky to have one of the world’s best agricultural sectors that offers enormous opportunities to the hundreds of millions of rural poor to overcome poverty.
He said the present government has focused on introducing farmers’ friendly policies for ensuring access to adequate food, generating jobs and boosting incomes of the vast majority of people living in rural areas to overcome poverty and hunger.
Gilani said incentive packages for the farmers, improvement in research and extension services, water conservation and its efficient utilization and in-time availability of inputs for cultivation were major steps that the government had undertaken to increase agricultural growth.
He mentioned that soaring food prices had adverse impact on the lives and livelihoods of people thereby forcing more people into the poverty trap. He said the unprecedented floods affected 20 million people and destroyed standing crops on 2.3 million hectares of land.
He said the government, NGOs, civil society and international agencies had worked hard to ensure provision of food for these people, adding “we have taken a number of steps to ensure provision of adequate food to the people from the flood affected areas and have also initiated efforts to revitalize the agricultural sector in the short, medium and long term so as to combat poverty and hunger.”
He urged all development partners, NGOs, civil society organizations and philanthropists to join hands with the government and help it formulate proactive policies to fight hunger and poverty.
He said the government on its part was committed to ensuring food security for its populace through policy interventions.
Courtesy www.app.com.pk