ISLAMABAD: The government is committed to providing essential food items at affordable prices to the consumers across the country, a senior government official said.

Talking to Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Food Security Jamshed Iqbal Cheema at the Finance Division, Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin underscored the importance of building strategic reserves of key commodities; wheat, sugar, pulses, ghee, tomatoes, onions and potatoes to eliminate undue profit margins and to stabilise prices of the daily use items.

The “Agriculture Transformation Plan” also came under discussion during the meeting. The plan is being introduced to shift conventional agriculture to the next level, i.e., commercial agriculture aimed at boosting agricultural productivity in the country.

Cheema said that the Agriculture Transformation Plan will promote agri-business, attract investment from the private sector, reduce post-harvest losses, add value to the local agricultural produce, develop rural infrastructure and enhance access to micro credit for the farmers.

The finance minister stressed the need to involve all the relevant stakeholders for successful implementation of the proposed Agriculture Transformation Plan. He also assured his full support and facilitation on the occasion.

Finance Minister Tarin also desired to utilise the expertise of the special assistant on food security to effectively control the prices of essential food items on a regular basis to provide maximum relief to the general public.

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