KABUL (PAN): President Hamid Karzai's nominees for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation and Public Works portfolios on Thursday briefed the Wolesi Jirga about their past achievements and future plans and answered questions. Seeking a vote of confidence from the lawmakers, Mohammad Asif Rahimi, minister-designate for agriculture said he would work hard to increase agricultural productions and economy revival. The former agriculture minister in the outgoing cabinet, Rahimi, presented his future plans and answered the questions posed by the MPs. He termed the agriculture one of the most important way of earning in Afghanistan. "Saffron is the best example which has key demand in international markets," he said. He added Afghanistan annually produced 134,000 tonnes of pomegranates and the production was expected to reach one million tonnes "There is also a possibility of more crease in the production of tangerine, kino and cotton," he told the legislators, insisting that small, intermediate and big water dams should be built to improve the sector. The minister-designate said approximately eight million hectares of land in Afghanistan was currently suitable for agriculture purposes but only three million hectors of land could be utilised due to water shortage. He said three to four billion dollars investment and a proper irrigation system could bring these lands under cultivation. He said credit and loans-giving system to entrepreneurs and farmers should also be established either through Agriculture Development Bank or an agency. Rahimi added his ministry would recruit 5,000 agriculture extension officers, besides establishing research centres in seven zones of the country in order to train the farmers in better cultivation and growing techniques. He also said establishing an agriculture university, combating plant disasters, modernising of keeping livestock and attracting investment would remain his top priorities in the next five years. Also on Thursday, minister-designate for public welfare portfolio Mirza Hussain Abdullahi appeared before the lawmakers for a vote of trust. He promised to improve the condition of roads by paying a special attention. He said he would ink contracts for the construction of roads with national construction companies and thus the money would remain in the country. He said in the past eight years, most of road construction contracts were signed with foreign construction companies resulted in withdrawal of money from Afghanistan. He said highways were not built in accordance with the agreements reached with the foreign construction companies. He vowed to address these issues including the issue of monitoring the projects. He told lawmakers he would stamp out corruption from his ministry through introducing sweeping reforms and would equal develop all parts of the country. Construction of new roads in provincial capitals and district were part of his plans for the next five years. ss/ma