International Wheat Conference organized by the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture Faisalabad.

FAISALABAD, October 19 Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Rana Tanvir Hussain has said that agricultural scientists will have to make concerted efforts to achieve food self-sufficiency by increasing per acre productivity. He stated this as the chief guest at the International Wheat Conference organized by the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture Faisalabad. He said that it is the need of the hour to disseminate the modern technology for the farming community to meet the food needs of the ever growing population. He said that in the context of climate change, agricultural scientists will have to introduce heat tolerant varieties. Chairman Higher Education Commission Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed said that 20 5 percent of wheat is wasted during wheat harvesting. The agricultural experts should devise a plan to reduce the wastage of wheat during harvesting. He said that after some years we face one of the worst floods for which we have to prepare strategies to deal with. He appreciated the efforts of agricultural scientists and expressed hope that they will play their full role to face the agricultural challenges facing the country. University of Agriculture Faisalabad Vice Chancellor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that in order to deal with devastating impact of climate change, UAF is working on high-quality varieties of wheat in collaboration with Washington State University that will increase the production per acre. Due to heat stress, the grain of wheat shrinks and the yield is affected. He said that despite being an agricultural country, we had to import ten billion dollars of essential commodities, which is a matter of concern. He said that we have to find local solutions keeping in mind the real problems of farmers. Washington State University Vice President International Program Asif Chaudhry said that his university was doing its best research to ensure food security. Dr. Qamar ul Zaman, Vice Chancellor of Arid Agricultural University, Rawalpindi emphasized on the promotion of precision agriculture at the national level. That it will not only increase the production but also help in rural development and improve the farmer's economic condition. Washington State University scientist Kulvinder Singh Gill said that work is underway on new varieties of heat-tolerant wheat. Former Vice Chancellor Arid Agriculture University and President Academy of Sciences Professor Dr. Khalid Mehmood Khan, CEO PARB Dr. Abid Mehmood, Chairman Pakistan Agriculture Research Council Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali, Dean Agriculture UAF Dr. Muhammad Sarwar Khan, Dr. Zulfiqar Ali, Dr. Jenny, Dr. Harbans Briana from the University of Sydney, Dr Kanwarpal, Dr Munawar Kazmi, Dr Rabia Faridi and others also spoke on the occasion.