Three-day International Colloquium titled challenges and opportunities of maize production concluded on Friday. It was organized by Maize Research Group, Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture Faisalabad.

Chairing the session, UAF Acting Vice Chancellor Dr Ashfaq Ahmad Maan stressed upon the agriculture scientists to address the problems of farming community. He added that more than 85 percent of our farming community consisted of small farmers. He said that more than 90 percent of total maize production comes from two provinces including Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Dean Faculty of Agriculture Dr Asif Tanveer said in the year 2017-18, maize crop was cultivated on 1.229 million hectares in the country. The decrease of 8.8 percent was witnessed over last year cultivated area of 1.348 million hectares. Department of Plant Breeding Genetic Chairman Dr Hafeez Sadaqat urged the farming community to grow maize with the adoption of latest agricultural technologies and enabling environment. Assistant Professor Dr Malik Muhammad Aslam and other notables also spoke on the occasion.