PAKISTAN has been designated a very high concern area in food insecurity by a UN report which also warns the situation will further exacerbate in coming months as the economic and political crises are reducing households’ purchasing power and ability to buy food and other essential goods. This alarming designation underscores the deepening crisis faced by our population.
At present Pakistan is faced with the worst economic situation which has become more complex because of continued political instability. Whilst the people are grappling with the unprecedented inflationary trends that have squeezed their purchasing power, it is really unfortunate that our political lot is focused more on settling their personal scores and not ready to bring down the political temperature. The UN report points out that Pakistan will have to repay $77.5 billion external debt between April 2023 and June 2026, a substantial amount considering the country’s GDP of $350bn in 2021. This should be a matter of concern for our authorities concerned as to how these external liabilities will be met whilst also ensuring that the country internally faces no food shortage or crisis. One of the major factors impeding our food security is climate change and its impact on water resources. Erratic weather patterns including unpredictable monsoon rains and prolonged droughts have wreaked havoc on agriculture production. Flooding and water scarcity have become recurrent problems, leading to crop failure and reduced yields. This is only enhancing our reliance on imports, for which the country does not have sufficient foreign exchange reserves. Whilst ensuring political stability, we really have now to focus on long- term planning to uplift the vital sector of agriculture to meet the requirements of our growing population. Unless immediate action is taken to tackle the food security crisis, the consequences will be dire, affecting millions of lives and undermining the country’s socio-economic development. International community will also have to come forward to help the country develop resilient agricultural system and strengthen its food production capabilities. Pakistan has a fertile land and with the right kind of intervention focused on extending incentives, especially to the small farmers, we can significantly enhance production of different crops to meet domestic demands besides exporting the same to earn foreign exchange.
