Australian High Commissioner Margaret Adamson along with Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan and Australian Commission for International Agricultural Research Chairman Don Heatley visits agri exhibition as part of UAF spring festival.

Australian High Commissioner Margaret Adamson on Thursday said Pakistan and Australia enjoy the historical significant relations that will be further strengthened especially in academic and agricultural in order to address the issue of poverty and food security. She was talking to University of Agriculture Faisalabad Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan during her to visit to UAF ongoing spring festival. She visited the agricultural exhibition and tent pegging show which are part of the Spring Festival. The spring festival will continue till March 10. She also stressed upon the need to strength linkages in the area of research in order to address the problems of agriculture and water scarcity. She said that under the Australian Centre for International for Agricultural Research (ACIAR), initiatives are taken to strengthen the sector in Pakistan especially in dairy, citrus, mango, value addition and other areas in Pakistan. She said that Australia’s development assistance is producing tangible results such as in 2014-15, 48,000 women and men working in agriculture increased their income through improved technologies and practices Australia’s contributions supported 118,000 children, including 62,000 girls, to undertake basic education. She said that Australia is now amongst the more popular destinations for Pakistani undergraduate and post-graduate students with over 14,000 Pakistani students currently studying in Australia. Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that the UAF was enjoying relations with the Australia. He said that we are working with the University of Sydney, Australia to develop wheat hybrid seed first time in Pakistan that will be more resilient to climate changes. He said under the ACIAR programme, the UAF was partnered with Australia in mango, citrus, tomato and social research. He said that 32 faculty of the UAF has complete the post doctorate from Australia whereas 5 are perusing post doctorate degrees. He said that UAF has inked 11 MoU with Australian organizations and running 11 projects funded by Austria. He was of the view that Pakistan-Australia strengthened ties would open up new horizon of the progress. He said the more joint research programmes were needed to address the common problems. Australian Commission for International Agricultural Research Chairman Don Heatley said that they were taking tangible steps for the cause of agricultural uplift in Pakistan as the agriculture was the backbone of Pakistan’s economy. He lauded the contribution of UAF for the agricultural sector with the help of research, education and outreach.