The Saarc countries were urged yesterday to give a big push to investment, mutual cooperation in research and development in agriculture sector to ensure food security.

Inaugurating the first Saarc Conference on 'Science-based Agricultural Transformation Towards Alleviation of Hunger and Poverty', Indian Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said about 60 per cent of South Asian people are still dependent on agriculture but growth rate of this sector in the region has remained slow because of inadequate investment, rural infrastructure and research and development, inadequate diversification to high value crops.

Outlining the challenges for agriculture in the region, Pawar said non-availability of quality and cost effective inputs, low efficiency of use of inputs and fast deteriorating soil health and water resources are the critical concerns.

One of the major priorities of the governments of the Saarc region countries is to give agriculture a big push and realise high growth rate, Pawar said.

He said investment and regional co-operation in research and development must be at the top of the policy agenda of the Saarc countries.

He noted that agriculture in the Saarc region could become a dynamic sector with rapid technological innovation.

The minister, however, said the real challenges that come in the way of making agriculture an instrument of development lie outside agriculture. "These are managing political economy of agricultural policies and strengthening governance for implementation of these policies."

Speaking at the conference, renowned farm scientist M S Swaminathan flagged concerns over dwindling global food stocks and rising prices.

"We are entering a difficult stage globally and nationally in agriculture and therefore sharing of ideas and experiences among Saarc countries would be beneficial," he said.

Swaminathan suggested the Saarc countries jointly develop a surveillance and early warning system for managing trans-boundary pests.

Afghan Agriculture Minister Obaidullah Ramin proposed the setting up of a common seed bank, joint research centre and a common credit fund for the region.

Sri Lanka Minister of Agriculture Development Malthripala Sirisena said nearly 32 per cent of his country's food requirement is imported and its annual expenditure on such imports amounts to 100 billion Sri Lankan rupees.

Bhutan Minister of Agriculture Sherub Gyaltshen said, "The need to build partnership with the scientists and research councils and research institutes in the Saarc region has become more essential then ever before".

Pakistan's former agriculture minister Amir Mohammad said two problems that the country needs to deal with in short term are reducing yeild gaps and tackling threat of climate change.