ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Pakistan meets 38 percent its pulses requirements through domestic production and 62 percent from import, the National Assembly was told.
In reply to a question by Sikandar Ali Rahoupoto, the Minister for National Food Security and Research Tariq Bashir Cheema told the House on Wednesday that in fact, Pakistan is not self-sufficient in pulses and spices production.
The minister apprised that the Country attained only self-sufficiency in mung bean production since last Fiscal Year 2020-21.
The House was told that following reasons for not self-sufficient in pulses and spices:
- Lack of mechanization: planters, harvesters, inter-cultures
- Socio-economic constraints
- Competition with major crops (wheat, sugarcane, cotton, rice and maize).
- Categorized as “Minor Crops”. Mostly grown on marginal lands without following advance production technology
- Low adoption of improved package of practices,
- Inadequate extension services and promotional activities,
- No systematic seed production mechanism
- Non- existence of support price and buy back mechanism
- Non-availability of quality seed at economical prices
- Controlling trans-boundary pest and diseases
- Sub-standard seeds, poor nursery management, bad agronomical and harvesting practices, improper drying, storage, transportation and marketing leads to produce subquality spices production
It was further told that the government approved PSDP project entitled “Promoting Research for productivity enhancement in pulses” which emphasizes to undertake serious R&D in pulses to build a sustainable mechanism for pulses production with exploration of new areas for pulses cultivation.
