Value addition and value creation-from Farm to Kitchen plate

Pyarey hum watanoo!! Pakistan is blessed with enormous natural resources. Our economy is mainly agri dominant. There is dire need to diversify our economic inputs. Solely depending on agriculture sector can only provide good startup but unless and until we focus industrial input starting from small industrial units things will not change. Small scale industry will be a good initiative. But here again come the problems of electricity even that is solvable, as compared to other European countries we are blessed with enormous sun shine. One would wonder to know that daily Sun provide 10,000 more energy than consumed by the earth duelers. Yesterday in a drawing room discussion there was lot of gossip with some friends and colleagues every body was arguing and blaming why we can not progress. From inside I was blaming the drawing room politics. It is prevalent culture rather I should say dominant culture we always enjoy drawing room politics in reality things are bit different. I suggested to friends that solely looking towards government that it should provide job for every citizen will be living in fool paradise. There is greater need to explore alternative sources of living. The time has come that we should immediately explore alternate sources of earnings. Creating alternate means of living for the people of backwards areas and allover Pakistan will immediately resolve the law and order problems in Pakistan.

It shall not be out of place to mention few things which can benefit us if we plan carefully. Value creation and value addition from Farm to kitchen plate is an idea where we can explore adding some value to our agri products. If one happens to visit Bhalwal, largest citrus and mandarins producing area in Pakistan, you would see this attitude prevailing over there. But we need more value creation in Balochistan as well. The natural resources being taped in Balochistan can best be value added and value crated by simple planning. The smokeless coal briquettes, the phoenix, copper refineries, hybrid seeds technology, hybrid seeds production farms, coal power generation, coal briquettes coal washer plants, are few to mention. For example chromium as raw material is being bought much cheaper, but the same product if refined can earn lot of revenue for the locals.

If see agriculture as whole the post harvest losses are immense same is about the pre-harvest losses. The integrated paste management, the idea of bio pesticides and bio fertilizers should benefit the agric sector in Pakistan.