Govt Downsizes Food Ministry By 30%

The federal government’s Rightsizing Committee has decided to cut the size of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research by 30 percent by abolishing/merging and transferring the responsibilities of 16 sub-institutes/departments to provinces. According to official documents seen by ProPakistani, seven institutions will be abolished while nine will be merged with provincial administrations. The ministry is required to submit its implementation plan to the Rightsizing Committee by January 20, 2025. Meanwhile, vacancies within the ministry will be eliminated, reducing the officer-to-staff ratio from 3:1 to 2.5:1. Key changes include the merger of the Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department (FSCDR) with the National Seed Development and Research Authority (NSDRA), and the integration of the Agriculture Policy Institute with the Economic Wing. Only international responsibilities of the Plant Protection Department will be retained by the ministry itself while redundant posts will be eliminated across several departments. Additionally, the government will digitalize and enhance the capacity of the Plant Breeders’ Rights Registry and task the Pakistan Oilseed Department with formulating provincial policies. The National Veterinary Laboratory’s functions will be largely transferred to the provinces. The government will conduct third-party reviews for institutions like the National Fertilizer Development Centre and Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), with the latter retaining only 50 percent of its posts post-consolidation. The rightsizing committee has also approved the transfer of the Livestock and Dairy Development Board to provinces, the liquidation and sale of assets of Pakistan Agricultural Storage & Services Corporation Limited (PASSCO), and a third-party audit of the Pakistan Cotton Committee and Pakistan Cotton Standard Institute. Essential functions of the Pakistan Tobacco Board will also be transferred and the Board itself abolished, the documents added.