The National Assembly Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research on Wednesday directed the Ministry of National Food Security and Research to expedite the export of surplus potatoes to Russia to ensure farmers receive fair prices and avoid financial losses.
The committee met under the chairmanship of Syed Tariq Hussain, where officials of the ministry informed members that, in compliance with the committee’s earlier directives, Russia had registered 101 Pakistani companies on July 7, 2026, to facilitate potato exports following the lifting of import restrictions.
The ministry expressed confidence that the registration of the companies would significantly boost potato exports during the upcoming season and help protect growers from financial losses caused by surplus production.
The committee instructed the ministry to make immediate arrangements for exporting excess potatoes to the Russian market, stressing that timely exports were essential to stabilise prices and safeguard farmers’ incomes.
During the briefing, officials informed the committee that the area under potato cultivation had increased substantially from 177,700 hectares in 2015-16 to 462,160 hectares in 2025-26. However, committee members sought verified figures and directed the ministry to provide authenticated data on potato cultivation and production.
To strengthen national food security and improve coordination among stakeholders, the committee recommended the establishment of a central inter-ministerial and inter-provincial coordination cell at the federal level.
The secretary of the ministry informed the committee that the PC-1 for the proposed coordination mechanism had been finalised and that implementation would begin within the next three months. The committee decided to review progress after the completion of the stipulated period.
The committee also decided to revisit the ongoing potato crisis in its next meeting and sought a comprehensive briefing on the Prime Minister’s Agriculture Modernisation Initiative.
During the meeting, the Vice President of the Multan Mango Growers Association raised concerns over the increasing consumption of artificially sweetened beverages, claiming they were contributing to premature diabetes and pancreatic disorders among children.
Taking notice of the concerns, the committee directed the representative to submit detailed recommendations and decided to invite him as an expert to the technical committee of the Pakistan Standards Institution for further deliberations.
