Comprehensive reforms in agri-research emphasised

Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain chaired a meeting on Wednesday with Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) Chairman Dr Syed Murtaza Hassan Andrabi to discuss the implementation of comprehensive reforms in Pakistan's agricultural research system.

The minister emphasised the urgent need to modernise and restructure research institutions across the country to meet international standards, boost productivity and strengthen food security and export competitiveness.

He highlighted that overlapping mandates between federal and provincial research bodies had created inefficiencies, while many institutions continued to work in isolation. He stressed that research must move beyond silos and adopt cross-disciplinary approaches to achieve practical and commercially viable outcomes.

Rana Tanveer underscored the need to enhance technology transfer and commercialisation, noting that some innovations, including vaccines, took years to reach the market, whereas they should ideally be commercialised within months.

PARC chairman was of the view that the quality and quantity of human resources in the system had been compromised over time, limiting their ability to achieve high-impact results. He emphasised that Pakistan's national research agenda must be aligned with export targets and food security goals, adding that all research efforts directly contribute to national priorities.

Dr Andrabi highlighted the importance of establishing a Digital NARIS Platform, which would serve as a centralised data repository and shared research facility to promote collaboration, knowledge sharing and evidence-based decision-making.

To strengthen governance and strategic oversight, he announced the formation of a scientific advisory committee, which would convene every quarter to review scientific priorities, set strategic directions and benchmark performance against global standards. The committee will comprise 50% foreign experts, including specialists from CAAS and other leading international institutions, to ensure that Pakistan's research system was aligned with the best global practices.

The minister reiterated that reforms were aimed at repositioning Pakistan's agricultural research system as a strategic enabler while moving away from budget-driven accountability to an impact-focused model that could measure performance based on productivity, adoption of technology, commercialisation and export growth.

Under the reforms, Pakistan will establish Centres of Excellence focusing on climate-resilient crops, livestock improvement, advanced food processing, AI and precision agriculture, and sustainable land, water and energy management.