UAF will join hands with SME, Govt. of the Punjab to augment and gear up the pace of agricultural development

UAF will join hands with SME, Govt. of the Punjab to augment and gear up the pace of agricultural development by putting focus on high value non traditional crops through encouraging the entrepreneurial business of medicinal plants, extracting oil from various plant species which has immense export potential in the world. The assertion was made in a meeting between UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan Khan (SI) and Chief Executive of SME Rana Siddiqu-ur-Rehman here at Syndicate Room of the University on Wednesday afternoon. It was revealed during the meeting that China was earning more than 50 billion dollars by promoting such plan species having medicinal value, so Pakistan need to heavily invest as the providence has bestowed it with abundant resources of unique plants of medicinal significance. During the meeting, UAF VC Prof. Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that his institution analyzed more than 300 indigenous plants to examine the medicinal value and they found 53 plants species of high value with tremendous export potential of billions of dollars. Dr. Khan revealed that UAF has identified unique plants having core medicinal value against cancer and hepatitis adding that only thing we need is to bring forth post harvest technology. Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan said UAF had placed a well-connected platform to jell together the innovative ideas and industrial support as Business Incubation Centre used to provide opportunity for both the parties. He hoped that UAF is striving hard to get the industry people on board and making strong ties with its stakeholders. Director Office of Research, Innovations and Commercialization Prof. Dr. Asif Ali Khan, said that setting up an industrial liaison office at campus is on the cards that would bring the industrial people closer with the faculty and young entrepreneurers.