Exclusive Interview with Mr. Yaqoob Tahir Izhar,
Executive Director IZHAR Foundation for Reserch & Development (IFRD)
The agricultural development done by Turkey and Malaysia always inspired me. Particularly several visits of Turkey revealed that the best solution for barren lands is olive cultivation. Olive plants were successfully grown in huge waste lands of Turkey, which were barren and arid, and without water resources. It was worth seeing that Olive plantation was thriving in those barren lands. This brought me to the idea of emulating the same in Pakistan. The lands are more fertile here in Pakistan and weather is more conducive than Turkish environment. The best solution for barren lands of Pakistan is olive plantation, as in Malaysia, Palm Oil was solution for the tropical regions with heavy rains and humid weather, which is not available in Pakistan. Thus we started research and development of Olive plantations.
A major proportion of our population is involved in agriculture directly and indirectly. This population is the real assets of the society but its access to education, health, drinking water and sanitation is severely limited. In Pakistan we need a new socio-economic order aiming at equality, non-discrimination and equal access to resources and opportunities, as we witness in countries like Malaysia and Turkey. This vision can be realized if all the stakeholders i.e. government, private sector, elected representatives, social sector, research centers, universities, intellectuals and communities sit together and develop a mutually acceptable consensual national roadmap binding on all.
We are living in a third world country having a potential and capability to become a first world country. One of the reasons of our socio economic backwardness is non-utilization of our human, physical and natural resources. One of the examples is our very fertile land remaining barren, un-utilized and non-cultivated despite of very favorable weather conditions, water resources, and energetic people and farmers, moreover inappropriate utilization of financial resources; lack of visionary leadership, sub-standard education, pitiable health and sanitation facilities and poor living standards, thana, patwari culture are deteriorating the national socio economic growth. No doubt, a sector of the civil society especially NGOs are doing appreciable work, but it is only in selected pockets. All of us bear the responsibility to participate meaningfully in the social and economic uplift of our society especially the marginalized segment of the community.
However, we strongly feel that in addition to above sectors, we must play our role in promotion of value addition in agriculture sector especially in barren and arid areas of Pakistan. Almost two thirds of Pakistan has marginal lands which are totally un-utilized and barren. Whereas, applied agricultural practices and procedures are backward and far behind international standards. It is a fact that agriculture can emerge as backbone of our economy only if we focus on applied research, new technologies, and professionally skilled human resources in this sector.
After research and development initiatives for olive plantation, We decided to share our achievements with all the relevant stakeholders i.e. government, media, local bodies, farmers and agriculturalists.
I am an engineer by education and businessman by profession, working as Director in Izhar Group, doing business and research in construction, engineering, housing, alternate energy, and of late in agriculture. We have neither an education in agriculture nor a family background.
Conversion of Barren Land into
Productive Land >>
OLIVES can transform
Economics of Pakistan