Punjab Agriculture Secretary Iftikhar Ali Sahoo visits UAF

FAISALABAD June 19: Punjab Agriculture Secretary Iftikhar Ali Sahoo on Thursday said that Agriculture Education and Research taskforce is being set up that will present recommendation to revamp the sector in order to ensure four percent agricultural growth in coming years. UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Zulfiqar Ali along with Chairman National Seed Authority Dr Asif Ali, Director General Ayyub Research Sajid ur Rahman, Chief Executive PARB Dr Abid Mehmood, Consultant to Punjab Agriculture Department Dr Muhammad Anjum Ali and other renowned agriculture experts and researchers attended the meeting. Iftikhar Ali Sahoo urged the agricultural institutions to lower down the walls and enhance the collaboration between academia, research and industry to achieve better outcomes and to ensure the food security at national level. He said that the government is devising the doable short, mid and long-term policies for upgrading the agriculture sector. He highlighted that increasing crop productivity is a major challenge, particularly due to water scarcity, climate changes and other challenges. He mentioned that quality germplasm, climate-resilient varieties and timely provision of certified seeds to farmers would boost the production. He also said that all stakeholders must adopt a unified and actionable strategy for agricultural sustainability. He said that government is providing resources for the renewal of the agricultural stability and a session with all its stakeholders is a testament in this regard. He said that the arid agricultural university in collaboration with agricultural institutions to enhance per acre wheat production. He said in the same, UAF and agricultural institutions should raise the wheat production in irrigated areas. UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Zulfiqar Ali expressed grave concern over the rapid decline of organic matters in soil, terming it a serious threat to land fertility and sustainable agriculture. He called for collective efforts by all agricultural institutions, academic and research, to make collective efforts to combat the alarming situation. He said that university would engage scientists from other agriculture institutions as adjunct professors on different research projects. He added that in the short–term agriculture reform planning, we have to profile the available varieties and select the heat and drought resilient for better production. He said that as long-term it is essential to develop germplasm resource nursery in which all agriculture based institutions should provide their germplasm resource that will help all scientists for breeding. He said that UAF is housing super computer and a big data can be used for development.