Despite the fact of being an agrarian country, we (Pakistan) are importing agricultural produces worth billions of rupees for which we have to identify priorities areas to conduct valuable research and development work in order to reduce import bill

University of Agriculture Faisalabad Vice Chancellor Dr Zafar Iqbal Randhawa said this at oath-taking ceremony and general body meeting of Academic Staff Association. He added that UAF research groups should come with the solid recommendations and tangible work to address the issue at the national level. He added that the agriculture is the backbone of our economy, contributing 20 percent to the Gross Domestic Product. He said that we have to adopt the latest agricultural trends and make farming community aware and to persuade them to adopt the modern practices. He said that increment in per acre productivity was the need of the hour that would not only increase our production, farmers’ income but also helped alleviate the poverty. Taking about UAF, he viewed that increasing students-teachers ratio had become a challenge and it was affecting the quality of education. He said a strategy was being mapped out to reduce the ratio in order to produce skilled manpower. He said that the university was considering reduction in the admissions from coming academic year. He said that strategic groups were being constituted to address the issues of the campus community. He urged the university teaching staff to refurbish the skills of students empowered with ideal characters. He also directed the administrative staff to devise a solid plan for the beatification of main corridor. He also said that staff club will be revived and upgraded. Talking about waste management, he directed the officials concerned to convert UAF as an ideal varsity in the waste management mechanism. ASA President Dr Amer Jamil said that huge students-teachers ratio was deteriorating education and research quality. He said that UAF was making all-out efforts to address the problems of the campus community. He said that detailed map near UAF monument needed to be built. He said that possible measures were being taken for the welfare of community.