UAF NEWS

Federal Minister for Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam on Monday said that the farmers lose 40 percent of their crops because of pest and diseases, for which agricultural scientists should make the integrated efforts to minimise the losses for ensuring the food security and agricultural uplift

Addressing the inaugural session of 7th Phytopathological Conference: current scenario and future prospect arranged at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad as chief guest online, he said that climate changes had provoked outbreak of diseases, causing reduction in the agricultural productivity. He said that cotton cruel leaf virus, mangoes trees sudden death, rust of wheat, potato and other crops diseases had incurred heavy losses to national exchequer in the past. He stressed upon the need to enhance the efforts for biological control. He said that the government was taking all possible measures under Prime Minister Agriculture Emergency Program to uplift the sector and to address the grievances of the farming community. He added that 40 percent of our population was malnourished that is a matter of grave concern. He added that we have to adopt the sophisticated machineries. The researchers should come up with viable solution to address the problems of farming community and increase productivity in order to ensure food security. He said that China is becoming largest economy, and we should learn how China made tremendous development. He said we are the seventh largest country in the world in terms of population and it is the need of the hour to increase the productivity to feed the ever increasing population.