UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahamd Khan and CABI Regional Director Dr Muhammad Shafiq ink MoU

The University of Agriculture Faisalabad and the Commonwealth Agricultural Bureau International (CABI) inked a Memorandum of Understanding to establish the Plant Diagnostic Window to provide quality information and analyze the diseases, pest management, and nutrient deficiencies of plants to the farming community. In this regard, a ceremony was held by the Department of Entomology at the Video Conference Room. The Vice Chancellor and CABI Regional Director Dr Muhammad Shafiq duly signed the MoU. Faculty of Agriculture Dean Prof Dr Muhammad Arshad, Entomology Chairman Prof Dr Jalal Arif, Prof Dr Anjum Sohail and Director External Linkages Prof Dr Ashafq Chatha were also present. Addressing on the occasion, Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that UAF’s Departments Entomology, Plant Pathology and Institute of soil will work together to extend the diagnostic services to the farming community in the form of mobile and stationed plant health clinics. He said the agrarian productivity can be boosted up manifold by transferring modern technologies to the small farmers comprising 90 percent of the farming community in Pakistan. He said that a lab for the animals was already working at the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences. He called for stepping up efforts to aware the masses about better management to increase their income in particular and to enhance the country agricultural production in general. He said that Pakistan was losing 25 to 40 percent of its crops in the post harvest process. Keeping in view, it is the need of the hour to educate them about latest practices to combat food security challenge. He said that the UAF is focusing on sustaining its position and the new avenue to work is outreach programme that will provide benefit to the man in streets. He urged the scientists to develop innovative solutions for the betterment of small farmers. He said that now the world was depending upon the integrated crops management. We also need to adopt the model here. He CABI Regional Director Dr Muhammad Shafiq said CABI Central & West Asia was established in 1957 as Pakistan Station of Commonwealth Institute of Biological Control. Giving details about the landmark projects , he said that it includes survey of parasites of insect pests of cultivated and useful plants and survey of insects destroying weeks and their parasites, Studies on natural enemies of noxious weeds), Studies on natural enemies of insect pests of West Pakistan forests (1961-1966). Faculty of Agriculture Dean Prof Dr Muhammad Arshad said that the university would make all out the efforts to address the productivity issue of the faming community. He said that the world is facing challenges of food security and the climate changes. Keeping in view, it is must to create awareness about the issues in the society. Prof Dr Jalal Arif said that the university was actively working on the technology transfers through outreach programmes. In this regard, his department has prepared two projects one on Plant Health Clinic and the other one on Beekeeping that will produce tangible results. He said that only 14 percent of the farmers are progressive. We have to work for the other 86 percent who don’t have an access to the modern technology. Prof Dr Anjum Sohail said that the MoU will help to boost up agricultural research and development activities that will help fight food security and other agricultural problems of the country.