Pakistan, US to develop agriculture in Afghanistan

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Pakistan, US to develop agriculture in Afghanistan​

Thursday, April 30, 2009
By our correspondent

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United States have announced to work together to develop agriculture in Afghanistan.

The announcement came in a meeting held between US Administrator Foreign Agriculture Service, Michael Michener and Secretary Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Zia-ur-Rehman at the ministry on Wednesday, a statement said.

Michener said that Pakistan, America and Afghanistan can work jointly in developing regional market and infrastructure, controlling plant and animal diseases and provision of agricultural credit. They also agreed that regional cooperation is very vital for ensuring food security for the people of the region.

“Pakistan needs help and cooperation of America in developing the farm machinery industry and promoting mechanisation of agriculture,” said Zia-ur-Rehman. He said that the US has already signed equivalency framework agreement for export of mangoes to US and its scope needs to be expanded.

“US help is needed in research, human resource development, introducing high-yield, disease-resistant seed varieties and especially in areas of genomics, advanced biotechnology, climate change, bio-informatics, bio-safety and international trade,” he added.

The meeting also discussed the avenues of cooperation in capacity-building in bio-safety and bio-security and especially need for training personnel working in the field of animal sciences in bio safety techniques.

Facilities need to be developed to handle highly dangerous strains of microbes such as bird flu virus, SARS virus, Congo virus, anthrax bacteria etc with US cooperation in Pakistan, it said.

Michener assured that the United States will fully cooperate with Pakistan in modernising agriculture and turning it into a profitable and competitive sector. Other senior officials of the ministry were also present in the meeting, the statement concluded.

Pakistan, US to develop agriculture in Afghanistan

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Finally some good constructive news on the US-Pak front, and related to Afghanistan to boot!

Pakistan has a strong interest in helping Afghanistan increase food production. A significant amount of wheat and other crops are smuggled into Afghanistan, raising prices and causing shortages in Pakistani markets.

In addition, increasing food production would possibly shift farmers away from poppy cultivation, and who doesn't want that!

Oh right, the Taliban.

 

[A1Kaid]

Pakistan, US to develop agriculture in Afghanistan​

In addition, increasing food production would possibly shift farmers away from poppy cultivation, and who doesn't wasn't that!

Oh right, the Taliban.

Hmmm How should I say this...

I hope you are aware the original Taliban lead by Mullah Omar clearly condemned the production of "poppy cultivation" under their rule they outlawed it because they morally oppose it. Though out of necessity, facing the demands of raising funds and supplies for themselves they loosened restrictions to profit from the "poppy cultivation" however this does not mean they morally support it, sometimes, we do what we must do even if we are morally opposed to it, the Taliban in fact were thinking more pragmatically in this case...

To suggest the Taliban do not want to get rid of the "poppy cultivation" is incorrect and inaccurate, if they were not facing war they would not have to loosen restriction on "poppy cultivation"...It's a catch 22 for them.

I'm sure in the long term the Taliban would like to end "poppy cultivation", but it is more pragmatic for them to profit from it and resist foreign occupation.

By the way please make a distinction between the original Taliban led by Mullah Omar vs Baitullah Mehsud's band of TTP....The two are different in their approach to things.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Ok, I'll retract that point for now, only because I don't want this thread to go down the route of that old debate over poppy production levels and regions again.

Can we stick with the rest of the post please.

 

[A1Kaid]

Ok, I'll retract that point for now, only because I don't want this thread to go down the route of that old debate over poppy production levels and regions again.

Can we stick with the rest of the post please.

Great escape....

By the way this sounds like the same old same old promises form the U.S. "Developing Afghanistan's" agriculture, how many times have I heard that. Bush mentioned it several times and now Pres. Obama.


"Pakistan needs help and cooperation of America in developing the farm machinery industry and promoting mechanisation of agriculture,” said Zia-ur-Rehman. He said that the US has already signed equivalency framework agreement for export of mangoes to US EDIT: Very few American's eat mangoes and its scope needs to be expanded.

“US help is needed in research, human resource development, introducing high-yield, disease-resistant seed varieties and especially in areas of genomics, advanced biotechnology, climate change, bio-informatics, bio-safety and international trade,” he added.

The meeting also discussed the avenues of cooperation in capacity-building in bio-safety and bio-security and especially need for training personnel working in the field of animal sciences in bio safety techniques.

Facilities need to be developed to handle highly dangerous strains of microbes such as bird flu virus, SARS virus, Congo virus, anthrax bacteria etc with US cooperation in Pakistan, it said.

Michener assured that the United States will fully cooperate with Pakistan in modernising agriculture and turning it into a profitable and competitive sector. Other senior officials of the ministry were also present in the meeting, the statement concluded."

I'm all for supporting the modernization of Pakistan's agricultural industry, but this improvement in agriculture should come with savvy and intelligent economic policies, state-subsidies are required to support local farmers and industries, until these local farmers can provide for themselves independently without government support.

Currently Pakistan is not doing enough, if a farmer wants to expand his farm or mechanize his agricultural company it is difficult for him to get a loan to do so, so the financial help to bring about these changes are lacking...

 

[bundog]

Very interesting!