FAISALABAD:
The third phase of the Australia-Pakistan Agriculture Sector Linkages Programme (APASLP) is set to begin soon.
A decision regarding this was taken during a meeting on Friday between a two member-Australian delegation and University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) Vice-Chancellor Iqrar Ahmed Khan. The delegation was composed of Sandra Mustafa from the University of Canberra and APASLP Operations Manager Munawar Kazmi.
The initiative would strengthen the agriculture and dairy sector to improve food security in Pakistan. Mustafa said work on various items including mangoes, citrus and dairy products had been carried out under the second phase of the programme to strengthen value chains, agricultural capability and effective policy formation. She said synergy between farmers and use of information technology could play a crucial role in facilitating the introduction of state-of-the-art agricultural techniques among the people. Mustafa said several universities would be participating in youth camps being organised by them in March in Islamabad.
Khan said Pakistan could earn lucrative foreign exchange by harnessing the potential of cheese production properly. He said a Dairy Technology Institute was being established at the university. Khan said the initiative had been taken to train manpower and facilitate research in the sector. He praised the ASLP for striving to improve agriculture in Pakistan. Khan said citrus farmers had failed to sell 30 per cent of their produce due to an infection.
Kazmi said the APASLP was identifying potential project areas to be targeted under the third phase. He said the organisation was committed to improving value chains. Kazmi said enhanced value chains could alleviate rural poverty by improving productivity and economic management. He said the APASLP had been striving to improve agricultural productivity and alleviate rural poverty since its inception.
Assistant Professor Izhar Ahmad Khan said any campaign that overlooked the social aspect was an exercise in futility. He stressed the need to introduce modern agricultural techniques among farmers.
Several other UAF officials were also present on the occasion.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 1st, 2014.
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There is PTI (Pakistan's first truly democratic party) for you. It doesn't even trust its own MNAs.