The Superior University and the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) will make joint efforts to commercialise UAF innovative agricultural technologies through academia-industry linkages in order to ensure food security and farmers’ enhanced income.

FAISALABAD September 28: The Superior University and the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) will make joint efforts to commercialise UAF innovative agricultural technologies through academia-industry linkages in order to ensure food security and farmers’ enhanced income. The decision was taken at a meeting between UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan, and Superior University’s Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization (ORIC) Executive Director Ayesha Zahid. The meeting was also attended by Dr Ahmad Raza Bilal, Dr Yousuf Siddiqui, Dr Shafiq Ahmad, Director ORIC UAF Dr. Zahir Ahmad Zahir, Dean Food Nutrition and Home Sciences Prof Dr Masood Sadiq Butt, Principal Officer Public Relations and Publications UAF Prof Dr Muhammad Jalal Arif, Director Planning and Development UAF Irfan Abbas and In-charge Business Incubation Center UAF Imran Munawar. Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that the Special Technology Zone Authority has declared UAF as an Agri Tech Park to fulfill the dream of increasing yield per acre with the help of innovative ideas, technology and tangible research work. He said that recently a National Incubation Center has also been established at UAF . In order to achieve a knowledge-based economy, strengthened academia and industry ties are prerequisite to ensure the food security and compete with the rest of the world. He said that if modern technology is not adopted in agriculture, the situation of food instability will worsen. He said we have to save the every drop of water, utilize land etc for agricultural development. He said that our agricultural productivity was not meeting the demands of the country and the farmers’ economic conditions were deteriorating. We have to reach out the farming community with modern trends and technology. Ayesha Zahid said that efforts were afoot to collaborate with the Entrepreneur Organization for the commercialization of UAF innovative products and technology in the agriculture and nutrition sector. She said that the best investors of Pakistan will be invited to commercialize the UAF innovative technology. She said that Superior University was taking steps to build the economy based on knowledge so that the income of the people can be increased and the country's economy can be improved. She said that UAF as the first institution in the subcontinent was taking marvelous steps for agricultural development. Dr. Zahir Ahmed Zahir said that the UAF was conducting the research work worth billions of rupees to solve the problems faced by the farmers. Dr Masood Sadiq Butt said that as many as 40 percent of our population is malnourished and Pak Korean Nutrition Center is a hallmark step to address the issue. Dr. Muhammad Jalal Arif said that the UAF had made a strategy to rehabilitate agriculture in the situation arising due to the devastation caused by the floods. He said four trucks have been dispatched to south Punjab to help the flood victims. And in the second phase, we are in coordination with the government for providing seed, etc for affected people. Irfan Abbas said that commercialization of UAF technologies would open up new avenue of the progress and prosperity.