Scientists urge adoption of new agronomic strategies

Punjab agriculture secretary calls for another green revolution

FAISALABAD: Agricultural scientists should devise new agronomic strategies by utilising innovative technologies in order to ensure food security, Government of Punjab’s Agriculture Secretary Waseem Mukhtar said while addressing students at the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad on Wednesday.

He said that Pakistan is facing challenges in agricultural productivity due to a lack of attention and resources for this important sector. Mukhtar was of the view that Pakistan had not prioritised the agricultural sector in accordance with international standards since the 1980s, which is why we are lagging behind in productivity standards. He urged scientists to develop innovative solutions for the betterment of small farmers.

The agriculture secretary lauded the UAF’s role in bringing about a green revolution during the 1960s through the provision of new varieties of crop seeds and training manpower. He said the same efforts now need to be replicated, as Pakistan has to feed a major chunk of the region’s population in the future.

UAF Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan, while briefing the chief guest, said that the university is facing financial constraints in providing affordable education to the deprived segments of society. He hailed the Punjab government’s financial support in development projects, particularly for post-harvest mechanisms, hostels, lecture theaters and video conferencing facilities for the university, and requested more resources for the completion of development projects.

Dr Khan added that the university is pursuing modern technological advancement in renewable energy, water efficiency and biotechnology in order to equip its human resources in the most befitting manner. Later, the agriculture secretary visited research laboratories, greenhouses, hostels and a biogas plant and expressed his satisfaction with the efforts of the university’s scientists.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 6^th, 2012.