STAFF REPORT IBD: The Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) is developing new technologies to enhance the efficiency of farm produce.

“The ministry will establish facilities for producing quality-controlled Halal food for Muslim consumers in different parts of the world and will support schemes for modern techniques in poultry, livestock and fish farming,” an official said.

Chairperson PCST Dr Mudasar Asrar said that despite contributing 20-25 per cent to GDP and being the mainstay of our economy, it has not been possible to exploit the livestock and agricultural sectors to their full potential.

“Today about 30-35 million people in rural areas are engaged in raising livestock and about a third of their income is generated from selling livestock products,” she said.

“Significantly lower average yields of crops, persistent decrease in quantity as well as quality of water available for irrigation, high cost of fertilizers, limited availability of quality certified seeds, weak pest management and large post harvest losses are some factors that are limiting the growth of this sector,” Dr Mudassar added.

Pakistan has a huge potential to export Halal food all over the world, provided there is a strong certification and quality control system within the country to address the issues related to Sanitary and Phytosanitary and Technical Barriers to Trade under World Trade Organisations obligations, according to Science and Technology and Innovation Policy 2012.

By Web Team

Technology Times Web team handles all matters relevant to website posting and management.