UAF and CropLife Pakistan will establish a strategic research and development (R&D) collaboration.

FAISALABAD Aug 15: The University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (UAF) and CropLife Pakistan will establish a strategic research and development (R&D) collaboration aimed at promoting sustainable agriculture, enhancing productivity, combating pesticide resistance, and improving crop residue management. It was agreed upon at a consultative session of Vice Chancellor of University of Agriculture, Faisalabad and MNS University of Agriculture, Multan (MNSUAM) ) Prof. Dr. Zulfiqar Ali as Chief Guest with Zeeshan Haseeb Baig (CEO), Tallal Hakeem (Sr. Vice Chairman CropLife Pakistan Association), Rashid Ahmad (Executive Director CropLife Pakistan Association) and other notables . The Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Zulfiqar Ali commended the proposal of engaging experienced industry professionals as adjunct faculty, describing it as a transformational initiative to bridge the gap between academic learning and practical application. He added that this integration would equip students with hands-on exposure to current industry practices and market-driven skills, enabling them to address evolving agricultural challenges. He urged CropLife Pakistan to pursue a long-term, structured partnership with UAF to make the sector more attractive, profitable, and sustainable profession, particularly for youth. He also underscored the strategic importance of establishing ISO-certified laboratories at UAF to deliver high-quality bio-testing, pre-breeding, and nursery services, thereby reducing lead times, lowering costs, and improving accuracy for farmers and agribusinesses. Prof. Zulfiqar Ali highlighted soil health as the foundation of sustainable agriculture and national food security, calling for science-based practices such as integrated nutrient management, organic amendments, crop rotation, green manuring, and the use of biofertilizers, vermicompost, and biochar to restore productivity. He advocated expanding entomological research to generate toxicological data, validate bio-pesticides, and conduct toxic profiling for environmentally responsible pest management. Addressing inefficiencies in seed production, he urged evidence-based reforms to meet or exceed global germination standards. Reaffirming his commitment to collaboration, he offered UAF’s support in organizing high-level policy dialogues and thematic conferences with CropLife Pakistan on key legislative and policy areas, including the Quarantine Act, seed value chains, biotechnology regulation, and sustainable food crop production, with the aim of delivering science-based recommendations for sectoral reform. Mr. Zeeshan Haseeb Baig reaffirmed the industry’s commitment to restructuring R&D activities to better align training and technology development with farmer profitability and sectoral growth and proposed the launch of joint ventures on early plant warning systems, Integrated Pest and Disease Management (IPDM), Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs), and climate-smart agriculture protection packages. Rashid Ahmad, Executive Director of CropLife Pakistan, proposed introducing joint short courses covering sustainable agriculture, seed quality assurance, pesticide resistance awareness, crop residue and rice management, aflatoxin mitigation, bio-pesticide development, contract farming, and student internship opportunities. The both organizations representatives who attended the meeting are Tahir Azeez (General Secretary), M. Abid Hussain (Accounts & Finance Consultant), Muhammad Asim (Lead Biotech & Seed Sub -Committee), Irfan ul Haq (Lead Stewardship Sub-Committee), Amir Bashir Malik (Lead Resistance Management Sub-Committee), Haseebullah Zahur (Managing Director FMC Pakistan), Muhammad Amjad (National Seeds & Development Manager Pepsi Co), Tahir Abbas (CEO Vital Agri Nutrients), Muhammad Arsalan (Business Development Manager Animal & Plant Novonesis), Tauqeer Ahmed (Manager Regulatory Affairs, Lucky Core Industries (LCI), Naveed Akhter (Research & Development Manager BASF Pakistan), Muhammad Azher Ali (Country Manager Regulatory Affaris, Swat Agro Chemicals), and Muhammad Shafiq (Manager Regulatory Affairs, Rafhan Maize Products) and scientists form UAF Prof. Dr. Muhammad Imran Arshad, Director ORIC, Dr. Waseem Akram, Chairman Entomology, Prof. Dr. Abdul Rehman, Chairman Plant Pathology, Prof. Dr. Nadeem Akbar, Chairman Agronomy and others.