Punjab Agriculture Secretary Muhammad Mahmood on Wednesday said that agricultural researchers should come up with viable policy solutions to different problems facing the agriculture sector in order to make agriculture profitable.

Punjab Agriculture Secretary Muhammad Mahmood on Wednesday said that agricultural researchers should come up with viable policy solutions to different problems facing the agriculture sector in order to make agriculture profitable. Punjab Agriculture Secretary Muhammad Mahmood on Wednesday said that agricultural researchers should come up with viable policy solutions to different problems facing the agriculture sector in order to make agriculture profitable. He was talking at a Joint Meeting of Steering Committee and Council for Research and Policy at University of Agriculture Faisalabad syndicate room. The meeting was organized by US-Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies (USPCAS), Agriculture and Food Security, UAF. The meeting was co-chaired by Former speaker National Assembly Syed Fakhar Imam whereas University of Agriculture Faisalabad Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan also addressed the meeting. The Secretary said that the agriculture sector was facing numerous problems including low productivity, water scarcity, soil, decreasing agriculture land, marketing issue and others. He said that the country was blessed with the fertile land, eco system but we could not reap the fruits from its potential. He said that government was making all out efforts to address the problems of the farming community. He was of view that awareness must be created among the farming community about the modern agro based technologies. Lauding the steps being taken on the part of UAF and USPCAS, he stressed upon the need to create collaboration between the Agriculture Department and USPCAS that will help improve the efficiency of agriculture department. Former Speaker National Assembly Syed Fakhar Imam called for joint efforts to address the problems of agricultural sector including water irrigation and quality of agriculture components as soil and seed. He said that major components for a successful agriculture include farmer land, labor, technology and water. He said that California faced drought for five year but they had developed the strategies to face the situation. He stressed upon the irrigation policy to fight the water scarcity issues. He stressed upon the need to diversification in agriculture as 70 percent of the countries land is covered by three major crops wheat, rice and cotton. He said countries agriculture needs a new paradigm in which water, soil and seed must be promoted. The availability of pure form and new technology to develop agriculture sector. Vice Chancellor UAF, Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that to improve the agriculture sector we must train the farmers and there should be knowledge based agriculture in which the focus must be on rural poverty of farmers. He said that water, energy and food security must be developed in which production, processing, storage and distribution be promoted. He showed his concern that a farmer son does not want to become a farmer due to low profit, market issues etc. He assured that the policy will steer the farmers out of the poverty by reducing the cost production and creating a knowledge corridor through small institutions to help farmers. He said that they have launched three new degree programs seed science, climate change and human nutrition. He said that the under the USPCAS, five chairs including policy and outreach research was set up that will help address the policy issue. He said that commissioned research was being carried out here for the development of agricultural sector. He said that Punjab Chief Minister had constituted a committee to device agriculture policy that will help uplift the sector and address the problem of farming community. Vice Chancellor, Lasbaila University of Agriculture, Water and Marine Sciences, Baluchistan Dr Dost Muhammad Baloch said that there should be training courses for farmers, growers, live-stock and other agriculture related courses for farmer. He said that there should be community knowledge about agriculture spread by media farmers. He said that there should be information centers in the districts in which trainers should educate farmers provincially. Chairman Horticulture Board of Pakistan and Ex-Minister of Agriculture, Sindh Hassan Ali Chaniho called for a platform where people from provinces, universities and farmers listen to each other problems and bring up solutions. Progressive Farmer Syed Faisal Hassan said that agriculture sector is facing seed issues due to which there is a massive difference of growth of Pakistan and other countries. He said that farmers must be respected by which agriculture will be developed. USPCAS Chief of Party Dr Bashir Ahmad , US scientist Dr Nancy, Registrar MuhammadHussain, treasurer Umer Saeed, Stakeholders Noshaba and Nasim also spoke at the meeting. All deans, directors, UAF also took a part in the meeting.