Pakistan could face food shortage in wake of floods: economists

Pakistani economists have expressed apprehensions that flash flood could create food shortage in the country which has to double its efforts for meeting growing needs of the galloping population.

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According to Radio Mashaal, they advised that more barren land should be used for cultivation to control this possible shortage of food.

Financial experts say that ongoing terrorism has already have had a very impact on the country's economy and the recent floods have destroyed thousand acres of farmlands which could cause shortage of food commodities in future.

Experts claimed that on one hand government is neglecting the development of agriculture sector and on the other smuggling of food items to Afghanistan were the reasons behind this shortage.

When Financial and Agriculture expert Dr. Shahid Hasan Sadique was questioned about the issue of possible food shortage in Pakistan, he said:" We are continuously warning the government that due to shortage of food items in future there will emerge a risk of possible anarchy in the country."

There are some reasons for this food shortage. According to the official estimates, the country has suffered a loss of twenty billion dollars, in the last two years, due to this ongoing war against terrorism, and this is almost ninety billion rupees per year which could affect supply of food items.

Secondly the IMF is giving Pakistan loans with strings, for example to increase the electricity charges, gas bills and to stop tariff on some other facilities is also the biggest reason. The third reason is that government is paying no attention to the development of agriculture sector.

The population has also increased twenty four per cent in the last ten years and agriculture product has increased only five percent.

On this question that Pakistan is an agricultural country and has one of the best irrigation systems then why it was importing food items from abroad. There are also many other reasons behind, one is water shortage to the farmer for cultivation, our thousands of acres land is barren and this must be developed for cultivation, third reason is that big farmers are of the opinion that due to food they will get more profit.

If government does not chalkout any strategy about then there is a possibility of food shortage and crisis in the country.