Provincial agriculture minister to chair body tasked with improving crop productivity, farm profitability, food security and private investment
The Punjab government has reconstituted the Agriculture Commission as a multi-stakeholder advisory body to recommend policy reforms aimed at improving agricultural productivity, farm profitability and sustainable growth.
According to a notification issued by the Punjab Agriculture Department, the provincial minister for agriculture and livestock will chair the commission, while MPA and Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture Usama Khan Leghari has been appointed co-chairman.
The commission includes provincial lawmakers, senior government officials, agricultural researchers, university representatives, private-sector stakeholders and farmers.
Its members include the Punjab minister for irrigation, secretaries of the agriculture, irrigation, livestock and food safety departments, the vice chancellor of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad and the special secretary agriculture for South Punjab.
The commission will recommend measures to strengthen food security, diversify crops, improve climate resilience, promote value addition and increase farmers’ profitability.
Its mandate also covers reforms in land and water management, agricultural inputs, crop productivity, high-value agriculture, agro-ecological zoning, research, marketing, agro-industry and the adoption of modern farming technologies.
The body will review existing agricultural policies and government interventions, identify implementation gaps and propose evidence-based solutions to improve agricultural service delivery.
It will also examine measures to encourage private investment, strengthen public-private partnerships and improve public-sector efficiency in agriculture.
Representatives from the agricultural research community, private sector and farming organisations have also been included to provide input on policy development and implementation.
