Islamabad, Feb 6: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Food Security has instructed the Ministry of Food Security to formulate a comprehensive 20-year plan for food security. This decision comes amidst growing concerns that the country’s crop production may not keep pace with the population growth projected over the next decade.
Committee members emphasized the importance of creating a long-term strategy to ensure that Pakistan can maintain food availability in the coming decades.
During the meeting, Secretary of National Food Security, Waseem Ajmal Chaudhry, provided a briefing on the upcoming fiscal year’s Public Sector Development Program (PSDP). He confirmed that the program would primarily focus on initiatives under the Uraan Pakistan scheme. Furthermore, he shared that the Prime Minister had directed the ministry to develop a sector-specific plan, which would be monitored collaboratively by the Planning Commission and the Prime Minister’s Office.
Additionally, the committee was informed that the Fisheries and Livestock departments would be phased out, and the focus would shift to sectors allocated to the provinces following the 18th Amendment.
The committee members expressed concern over missed crop growth targets, pressing the ministry to address future food security challenges.
They also noted that Pakistan’s agricultural research funding lags behind that of its regional counterparts, which could hamper progress in food security. 
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Ministry officials disclosed that 42% of Pakistan’s revenue is derived from foreign trade, but the high import taxes are hindering investment in the sector. The development budget for the food security sector is expected to exceed Rs. 187 billion, with Rs. 14 billion allocated to PSDP projects worth Rs. 201 billion. The total development budget for the current fiscal year stands at Rs. 9.92 billion, and 18 new projects are proposed for the following year.
In a separate issue, the committee rejected the wheat production data submitted by the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC). The committee criticized the council for presenting figures that were significantly lower than actual production levels and called for an inquiry into the matter. The Food Security Secretary assured the committee that the issue would be taken up with the Prime Minister for further investigation.
