Agricultural progress is essential, says VC
A family harvests red chili peppers in Kunri, Pakistan, February 24, 2022. Devastating floods across Pakistan in August and September after several years of high temperatures, have left chilli farmers struggling in a country heavily dependent on agriculture, where officials have estimated $40 billion of flood damages. "When I was a child, the heat was never so intense. We used to have a plentiful crop, now it has become so hot, and the rains are so scarce that our yields have dwindled," farmer Leman Raj, 40, said. REUTERS
University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that uplifting the agriculture sector was vital to ensure food security, for which collaborative efforts and adopting modern trends are needed to feed the ever-growing population.
He made this statement while talking to trainee foreign diplomates from the Foreign Service Academy, who were led by Director Program Foreign Service Academy Irfan Shoukat.
Dr Iqrar said that the agriculture sector was facing severe challenges due to climate change and other factors, adding that the country imports 92 percent of its edible oil.
He stated that promoting oil seed crops could relieve pressure on the foreign exchequer, further stating that the university was running an active soybean breeding program that will help the sector flourish.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 16th, 2022.