Agriculture and industrial sectors need to embark on value addition with a renewed vigor

MULTAN,Oct 26th: Chairman, National Assembly Standing Committee on Industries and Production, Asad Umar, said on Thursday that country’s agriculture and industrial sectors needed to embark on value addition with a renewed vigor to get maximum share from international markets and to extend benefits to farmers for their financial strengthening.He expressed these views while talking to office bearers of Multan Chamber of Commerce & Industry (MCCI) including Malik Asrar Ahmed Awan(President) . NA Committee members including MNA Dr. Shizra Mansab Ali Khan Kharal, MNA Kamal Jung, MNA Muzammil Qureshi, MNA Qaisar Mahmood Sheikh, MNA Rana Qasim Noon besides officials from ministry of Industries and production and Agro Food Processing Facility (AFP) Multan were present.
Umar cited lack of proper marketing and access to new technology behind trade deficit and lower market share in the international market. He said that country’s agriculture sector needed more incentives and subsidies.
He advised farmers to opt for cooperative farming and move to value addition to attract premium price from the world market consumers.
Asad Umar expressed concerns over lack of job opportunities in South Punjab and underlined the need for establishing more industrial parks and industrial zones.
MNA and member of NA Committee Rana Qasim Noon said that no industrial park has been designed for South Punjab and added that around 8000 acre state land was available in Jalalpur  Pirwala, some 90 kilometres away from Multan, that can be utilized for establishment of a national industrial park. He added that this land was located near the under execution project of Multan- Sukkur motorway as part of (CPEC) and hence would be colonized and functional early.
Asad Umar asked the officials concerned to prepare a feasibility within three months for an industrial park in Jalalpur Pirwala.
Later while talking to media he said that the NA Committee got briefing from officials on AFP facility in Multan, besides national industrial parks and special economic zones to be built on China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
He said that AFP facility in Multan was performing good. He expressed concerns that Pakistan Steel Mills was not functioning for the last 27 months and added that a privilege motion would be moved in the National Assembly on the issue.He said that country can prosper only when the farming community is prosperous. He underlined the need for promoting agro industrial businesses in the country.
He said that NA Committee has recommended establishment of a facilitation centre of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (Smeda) in Multan to facilitate small and medium scale business persons and to build a national industrial park in South Punjab to generate economic activities and provide jobs to the youth.