World Food Day (October 24, 1983)

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in its 20th session in November, 1979 adopted a resolution to establish a ‘World Food Day’ to be observed on 16th of October each year. The main objectives of the World Food Day are:
(a) to heighten public awareness of the nature and dimensions of the tong4erm world food problem and to develop further the sense of national and international solidarity in the struggle against hunger, malnutrition and poverty;
(b) to encourage greater attention to agricultural production in all countries and to stimulate greater national, bilateral, multilateral and non-governmental efforts to this end; (c) to promote the transfer of science and technology to developing countries, particularly for the benefit of the small farmer and landless labourer, and to bring about an agricultural revolution through the development of new biological approaches;
(d) to draw attention to success achieved in food and agricultural development;
(e)to promote participation by the rural masses in decisions and measures affecting their development with a view to closing the gap between actual and potential yields, to promoting greater self-reliance, and to improving living standards for the rural poor;
(f) to encourage economic and technical cooperation among developing countries in the fields of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, nutrition and rural development.
Pakistan joins the other nations in observing the World Food Day which aims at highlighting the problem of hunger and malnutrition confronting several developing countries today and also at focussing attention on internationally aided programmes which such countries can adopt to increase food production.
In the recent years Pakistan has achieved a record over all growth rate of 4% in agricultural produce fixed by the “World Food Conference” Pakistan is now not only self sufficient in wheat and sugar but is also the third largest exporter of rice in the World. It produces some of the finest varieties of rice which are very popular all over the world. Pakistan’s expor-table surplus of rice is over 1.2 million tones per annum. Rice Export Corporation plays a key role in marketing Pakistan’s rice abroad. All this growth rate in agricultural produce has been possible mainly due to the efforts of farmers and increased use of chemical fertilizers. Tremendous contribution in this field has been made by National Fertilizer Corporation (NFC) which is the biggest producer of fertilizers in Pakistan, marketing over 1.5 million tonnes of five types of fertilizers annually. To assure timely delivery of fertilizers NFC has created a vast network of over 1700 dealers and has 10 regional offices to cater to the needs of the farmers.
The National Fertilizer Corporation has also made a significant contribution in educating the farmers in how to use modern techniques to boost food production.
Although the “World Food Day” is observed on October 16. yet the set of four stamps each of Rs.3/- denomination on the “World Food Day” and one stamp of 60 Paisa value on ‘NFC’ will be issued on October 24, 1983 due to Muharram in Pakistan.