Speakers at a workshop on Saturday called for ensuring food security by promoting high-resistant alternative crops instead of only focusing on traditional crops to meet demands of increasing population, curb malnutrition, and fight impact of climate changes on agriculture.

Speakers at a workshop on Saturday called for ensuring food security by promoting high-resistant alternative crops instead of only focusing on traditional crops to meet demands of increasing population, curb malnutrition, and fight impact of climate changes on agriculture. They were addressing 1st stakeholder interactive one-day workshop titled prospects of new crops in Pakistan arranged at Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture Faisalabad. Addressing on the occasion, UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that the farming community was focusing only five crops including wheat, rice, sugarcane, maize and cotton. Whereas there is the great potential to grow the alternative crops keeping malnutrition, food security and climate changes in view. He said that rice is the heavily water absorbing crop and Pakistan has been ranked as the water scarce country . We are exporting rice 2 billion dollar at the cost of Rs 8 billion dollars. We can also the benefit from the alternative crops to meet our local demands and capture international markets to earn heavy foreign exchange. He said that various plant diseases were breaking out because of climate changes and urged to expedite the pace of the work to avert the crisis. Dean Faculty of Agriculture Dr Riaz Ahmad said that the climate changes was playing havoc not only with the lives of people but also with the agriculture sector. He said urged the participants to expedite the efforts for the food security in the country. He was of the view that the country was blessed with four seasons, fertile land and natural resources. He said Quinoa can be cultivated in drought-affected or salinity-stressed areas. Dr Abul Wahid said the agriculture is the backbone of our economy, contributing 21 percent to the Gross Domestic Product. He said that the increase in per acre production was essential to ensure food security. Dr Shahzad Basra said that Quinoa is a gluten free food and demand of the gluten free food is increasing worldwide. He said world production of quinoa is standing at 90 thousands metric tonnes. He said that Pakistan per acre quinoa production is 32 mounds whereas the country has the potential of getting 80 mounds per acre. Dr Javed Anwar from JK Farm said that demand of the quinoa only in United States is sanding at 43 million US dollar. He urged the scientists and other stakeholders to expedite their efforts in order to ensure the food security. Dr Khalil Ur Rehman stressed upon the need to increase the productivity to meet the demand of increasing population. He said that malnutrition was area of concern for which expedited efforts are needed. Dr Irfan Afzal said that promotion of alternative crops would also help ensure the food security and to alleviate the hunger from the country. Dr Hafiz Muhammad Akram, Dr Abdul Wakil, Dr Muhammad Aftab, Dr Ejaz Warriach and other notables also spoke on the occasion.