By Abdul Aziz Baloch
A big step was taken for the development and prosperity of Sindh and the country. The Sindh government has handed over 52,713 acres of land to the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) for corporate farming in the province. This salinity-affected land, unused for 75 years, will be transformed into green fields with modern farming techniques.
Currently, 1.74 million hectares of land in Punjab, 1.45 million in Sindh, 4.87 million in Balochistan and 1.08 million hectares in KPK are uninhabited, which can be made cultivable through corporate farming to secure the agricultural future of the country.
It is sad to say that currently around 5-10 million people in the country are suffering from severe food insecurity, if the situation continues, 60% of the population may be suffering from food insecurity in the next five years. This can be remedied to some extent through corporate farming. There is a need for agricultural planning by adopting modern technology, to prevent double number seeds and fake pesticides and insecticides from entering the markets. For the promotion of agriculture, more funds should be allocated in the federal and provincial budgets for agricultural research and more subsidies to farmers.
Although Pakistan is an agricultural country, we often have to import wheat, pulses and oilseeds etc. from foreign countries. Due to the bad situation of the economy, the country and the people cannot afford to import food. There is a lot of waste land in our country, it can be made cultivable and profitable after some hard work. 52 thousand acres of land in Sindh has been given under the auspices of SIFC. This is the land which has been unusable for the last 76 years and has not been utilized till now. The Sindh government and the people of the province will be entitled to 33% profit on these lands.
This land is being leased for 20 years to Pakistan Army and foreign investors. These lands will remain the property of Sindh and its people. The project aims to green Sindh and increase food production. With self-sufficiency in obtaining food, employment opportunities will open up for countless people. Evidence related to the lands will be collected using modern scientific method under Pakistan Army and foreign farming company. The properties of the lands, environment, water under them, minerals etc. and other information will be ascertained, then these lands will be developed and utilized according to their potential.
This land will be used by Pak Army for modern farming, agricultural research, farming etc. By making barren lands arable through modern scientific methods, maximum crop production will be ensured by using less fertilizers and pesticides. There will also be recovery of minerals etc. These lands will also be used for livestock and other purposes. This is an important step towards the prosperity of the country and the development of agriculture. With this great project, the situation of the economy will take a better direction and it will prove to be the cause of prosperity of the country and the province. Following the example of Sindh, the land in other provinces should be protected from salinity or other physical and climatic effects through corporate farming and modern farming to make it arable, so that the food crisis can be controlled in the future.