On Wednesday, October 22, 2025, at 11:00 AM, the Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research convened its 20th meeting in Constitution Room of the Parliament House, Islamabad, under the chairmanship of Syed Tariq Hussain, Member of the National Assembly.

The meeting commenced with a recitation from the Holy Quran, after which the minutes from the previous meeting were confirmed.

An update on the recommendations from the 19th meeting of the Standing Committee was taken.

The Ministry of National Food Security and Research informed the Committee that provincial governments were requested to enforce seed regulations through their agriculture extension departments to ensure quality seed availability. However, only Punjab has taken responsibility so far. The Committee directed the Ministry to issue letters to all provinces and required agriculture secretaries to respond within 15 days.

The Secretary of Agriculture, Balochistan, informed the Committee that Punjab Seed Corporation is not supplying seeds to the province. The Director General of the Federal Seed Certification Department confirmed a severe shortage, with only 4,000 metric tonnes available against a demand of 68,000 metric tonnes. The Committee directed the Ministry’s Secretary to convene a meeting with Balochistan and Punjab provincial secretaries to resolve the issue and report back.

The Committee reviewed the progress of the proposed joint research center at Khairpur, collaboration between PARC and Khairpur University, and was informed that no advancement had been made despite previous directives. Consequently, the Committee decided to form a Sub-Committee with the same Terms of Reference (TORs), appointing Syed Javed Ali Shah as convener, and MNAs Syed Abrar Ali Shah, Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Behan, and Mr. Nazir Ahmed Bughio as members.

The Committee recommended introducing minimum support prices for sugarcane and other major crops to protect farmers from exploitation. It expressed concern over delayed sugarcane procurement by mills, which lowers farmers’ prices and discourages crop rotation. The Minister assured that an agreement with mill owners ensures timely, fair purchases. The government has launched an initiative where storage facilities can be obtained through bank loans with government support.

Regarding wheat, the Ministry confirmed that the government maintains sufficient buffer stocks, which are available for provincial procurement, especially by KPK, through PASSCO. The current minimum support price for wheat, introduced through the Committee’s efforts, remains in place despite objections from the IMF.

The Committee closed the Point of Order raised by Mr. Asad Qaiser, MNA, due to his absence. On tobacco companies’ CSR efforts, only two companies provided data. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Agriculture Department reported that companies buy only premium-quality tobacco, rejecting lower-grade produce because of poor storage and weather conditions a concern acknowledged by the Pakistan Tobacco Board (PTB) Chairman. The Committee directed the PTB and KPK government to resolve the issue and report back. It also recommended annual third-party evaluations of CSR spending and instructed the PTB to provide comprehensive CSR data from all tobacco companies.

The presentation on Pakistan’s olive sector revealed that out of 800 million olive trees globally, half are found in Spain, while Pakistan hosts roughly 7 million. The global olive industry is worth $15 billion, and Pakistan’s yield rate of 28% is significantly higher than the international average of 6–7%, positioning the country advantageously in the market.

To harness this potential, the Government launched initiatives like the Pak Olive Project, improving crop productivity and quality, with projections to meet domestic demand by 2030. Olive farming, currently spread across 131 districts with over 6.99 million plants, supports environmental sustainability and has applications in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. The trees have a 100-year lifespan and reach peak yield in 10 years.

The government provides certified saplings at subsidized rates (Rs. 200–300 per plant) through registered nurseries, promoting intercropping and leveraging favorable agro-climatic conditions. Digital outreach has also begun attracting foreign investment.

However, challenges remain, including limited post-harvest infrastructure, lack of farmer training, market access barriers, and inadequate zoning data. Despite olives being drought-tolerant, water management is still an issue in arid areas.

The Committee recommended updating olive zoning clusters, encouraging public-private investment in value-added infrastructure, strengthening farmer training, and developing a national certification and branding framework. Improved digital access and market intelligence were also emphasized to attract investment and enhance global competitiveness.

The Committee raised concern over the rising cost of fertilizers, particularly DAP and urea, whose prices have increased from Rs. 12,000 to Rs. 15,000, putting an additional burden on farmers. The Committee urged the government to intervene and ensure farmers are not exploited. In response, the Minister informed that a meeting is scheduled for the day after tomorrow to review import data and explore ways to reduce local prices in line with the import costs.

The Committee also raised the issue of irregular and large-scale transfers and postings within PARC, including the promotion of junior officers to senior positions and the transfer of class-IV employees from their home districts to remote areas. The Ministry assured the Committee that the matter would be reviewed and corrective action, including revisions of transfer orders, would be taken where necessary.

The following Honorable Members of the Standing Committee attended the meeting: Rana Muhammad Hayat Khan, MNA; Mr. Nadeem Abbas, MNA; Chaudhary Iftikhar Nazir, MNA; Mr. Abdul Qadir Khan, MNA; Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Behan, MNA; Mr. Usman Ali, MNA; Mr. Nazir Ahmed Bughio, MNA; Syed Javed Ali Shah Jillani, MNA, Syed Abrar Ali Shah, MNA and Syed Ayaz Ali Shah Sheerazi, MNA.

Senior officials and representatives from the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), National Seed Development and Regulatory Authority (NSDRA), Centre of Excellence for Olive Research and Training, Olive Seed Department Loralai (Balochistan), tobacco companies, grower associations, and other relevant departments also attended the meeting.