Abstract
The study intended to explore planning strategies gaps in ten-year perspective and medium-term development framework plans for agro-based industrial development in secondary cities of Sindh Province, Pakistan. Document review and key informant interviews survey techniques were used for data collection. A total of 30 interviews were conducted from agro-based officials. The SWOT analysis technique was applied for data analysis. The results revealed the weaknesses of high priority for textile and sugar industries, lack of planning strategies for agro-based development in secondary cities, dependency on federal government for development funds and absence of finances to implement plans. The threats were unavailability of strategic agro-based infrastructure facilities in secondary cities, centralized planning system, cross border threats such as the war in Afghanistan and migration of Afghan refugees, weak law and order situation and diversion of development budget for defense activities. The study suggests decentralization of powers and robust planning strategies in the development plans to strengthen secondary cities of Sindh Province economically.
Highlights
It is an entrenched reality that urban areas whether metropolitan or secondary cities are engines of regional economic growth [1,2,3]
If governmental bodies are establishing industrial estate in metropolitan cities, why are they not initiating the same programs for secondary cities? Considering these issues, this study aimed to identify the planning strategies gaps in the Ten-Year Perspective (TYP) and Medium-Term Development Framework (MTDF) plans developed during 2001–2010
The gathered views of the agro-based key informants about the SWOT of ten-year perspective and medium-term development plans were analyzed through deductive content analysis method in NVivo software
Summary
It is an entrenched reality that urban areas whether metropolitan or secondary cities are engines of regional economic growth [1,2,3]. Secondary cities and intermediate urban centers, especially, play a dynamic role in the economic development of a region. It is a well-established factor that agro-based industrial development plays a strategic role in the economic growth and development of a country [8]. Agro-based industries are potentially strong in providing farming and off-farm employment opportunities to rural and urban inhabitants [9]. Agro-based industrial development has a significant impact on economic development in both urban and rural communities and leads towards regional development [8,9]
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