Ambassador of Belgium to Pakistan Peter Claes visits UAF

Ambassador of Belgium to Pakistan Peter Claes on Tuesday called for promoting ties between two countries especially in academia, agriculture and trade; and emphasized on dealing with water scarcity and climate changes issues. He was talking to Deans-Directors meeting of University of Agriculture Faisalabad that was chaired by UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan. He said that agriculture sector was the lifeline for Pakistan which is an agro-based country. He pointed out that universities, in the developed countries, are close to the industry. The same mechanism must be strengthened in Pakistan. He praised the UAF for its services for the agriculture sector in the term of trained manpower and to wining the global recognition. He said that Pakistan population is touching 200 million. It was blessed with the largest canal system. The country has become water scarce country. The modern irrigation practices such as drip irrigation must be promoted. He said that climate changes impact on the crops needs to be tackled with modern and sophisticated research work and the efforts. He stressed the need to collaborated efforts on the part of the both countries on the issue of water, bio masses and agriculture. He said that Belgium was having the population of 11 million. He said that the collaboration works between the two countries in agriculture will pave the way to further progress. The share of agriculture in his country was 3 percent to the Gross Domestic Product, he said, adding that the agriculture sector attained an immense importance across the globe because it provided basis thing for life food for the ever-increasing population. He said his country was producing a good number of cheeses which is a weak area in Pakistan. He offered the services of his country to work together to work on the areas of the mutual concerns. Addressing on the occasion, the UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that the water scarcity issues was haunting the agriculture sector of the country. He stressed the need to replace the flood irrigation system with the drip irrigation method in order to save the water for the coming generation. He said that the work with Belgium will open up new horizon of progress. He said that value chain in Pakistan was a weak area in which Belgium cooperation will prove fruitful. He said the University is running external research projects worth Rs 2 billion rupees. He said that the university had expedited its outreach program to transform the knowledge into goods and services. He added that the UAF has produced more than 56,000 graduates so far. He said that being the mother of all agricultural institutions in subcontinent, the UAF was making all-out efforts to flourish agriculture sector and rural economy. Earlier, the ambassador flanked by Abid Hussain, Trade Commissioner, Belgium Embassy Pakistan, called on the Vice Chancellor at VC Chamber and discussed the areas of mutual concerns.