Punjab Agriculture Minister Dr Farrukh Javed said that the agriculture sector was facing different challenges including water scarcity, climate changes and crippling energy crisis in which academia, and researchers should come up with solutions to overcome the challenges.

Punjab Agriculture Minister Dr Farrukh Javed said that the agriculture sector was facing different challenges including water scarcity, climate changes and crippling energy crisis in which academia, and researchers should come up with solutions to overcome the challenges. He was addressing the participants of 22nd Convocation of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad as the chief guest and nominee of Chancellor/ Punjab Governor. He said we have to ensure our food security in ever growing population, adding that all the stake holders should come together for the development of the agriculture sector. He said that it was a matter of concern that the country was importing edible oil worth Rs 3 billion for which steps are afoot to promote the cultivation of olive oil in potohar area. The Punjab Agriculture Department has just launched precision land leveling and water conservation programme that is the micro drip irrigation worth Rs 36 billion. He said that the Punjab government was much alive and working hard to address the issue of agriculture and farming community. He said that the Punjab government has converted 20,000 tubewells to the biogas in order to face up to the energy crises as the pilot project. He said that the researches should not be piled up in the libraries. These must be reached to field of farming community as the famers were not benefitted. He said our new hybrid maize seed was available in market at just Rs2,500, which was far less than the prices of multinationals of Rs 7000. He praised the University for entering in the list of top 100 universities of the globe as these the university and its graduates are doing their best for the uplift of agricultural sector and national economy. He praised the UAF academia, research and outreach programme. UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that the UAF was taking all out efforts for the uplift of agriculture sector through ensuring food security and trained human resources . He said the University has attained 97th position in Agriculture Sciences, according to National Taiwan University It is standing at 20th position in the Asian Pacific . The Pakistan Council for Science and Technology (PCST) has also ranked the varsity as top Degree Awarding Institution of the country for the Year 2013. He said that UAF has developed a comprehensive action plan Vision 2030 to achieve a sustainable agriculture through its three cornerstones: learning, discovery and outreach. He said that it is housing the Centre for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security worth 30 million US dollar sponsored by USAID. The university houses a satellite unit of a German funded International Center for Development and Decent Work (ICDD) to fight against global hunger and poverty through research and education. It is the also setting up Confucius Centre, with the help of China in which Chinese Cultural and Language Programmes and foreign scholarships will be offered. Former Indian Chief Election Commissioner Dr Manohar Singh, who received an Honorary PhD Degree from the UAF in this convocation, while addressing the audience called for joint collaboration in academia through students and faculty exchange programme. He said that both Punjab had the similarity in the social set up in term of language, food etc. He said that youth is an asset if it is educated and skilled. He called for the women education as the educated women can give the education and health to their children properly. He said that by 2020, in India 65 percent of the people will be below 35 years of age. As many as 3327 students were awarded degree and 35 students were decorated with medals at the convocation. As many as 101 PhDs, 322 MPhill, 1448 MSc and MSc (Hons) MBA, MCom and 1410 students of first degree programme were awarded degrees. Registrar Muhammad Hussain led the academic procession. Controller of Examinations Prof Dr Abdul Wahid proceeded the session. Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi Prof Dr Rai Niaz, Government College Women University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Naureen Aziz, Government College University Faisalabad Prof Dr Muhhammad Ali, University of Gujrat Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Zia-ul-Qayyum, Defence University Rector Prof Dr Zia ul Qayyum, members UAF Syndicate Manzoor Thakkar and Rabia Sultan were also present.