FROM MENAHILL RASHID
FAISALABAD: Ambassador of the Netherlands to Pakistan Wouter Plomp has said that agriculture sector is the most important sector as food security is a growing concern due to impacts of climate change and rapid increase in population.
He was talking to the master trainers of a project “ Capacity Building of small scale potato growers in the Punjab” at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad.
He said that supported by Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), the project is helping increase productivity and sustainability of 950 smallholder potato growers in four districts of Punjab including Sahiwal, Okara, Kasur and Pakpattan. The project is being implemented by the Center for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI) and leading Dutch agricultural institute – Wageningen University whereas the University of Agriculture Faisalabad is the partner.
He said that the agriculture subject had gained the most importance in order to feed the ever-growing population that may touch 10 billion by the end of this century. Pakistan had great potential to promote its agriculture due to its huge fertile lands etc. He said that the Netherland was one fifth of the Punjab but it was the one of the top food exporters due to latest agriculture tools, practices, and research. He said that Netherland floriculture sector had its own the best recognition across the world. He said that education in Netherland is the affordable to the Pakistani students and they should get benefit from it.
UAF Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that we have to lower down dependency on wheat and need to bring food diversification. He said that food security was the area of the concern for the people and the strengthened ties with Netherland in the area of agriculture would bring the tangible results. He said that there was a need to learn from Neverland experiences. He said that the potato project was the hallmark that was focusing on women farmers also. He said that the county can earn the heavy forex by potatoes. Potatoes are also being used as the staple food in some country.
Dean Social Sciences Dr. Sarfraz Hassan said that the fundamental objective of potato project is to increase productivity and sustainability of the potato crop through promotion of good agricultural practices for smallholder in the Punjab.
Director External Linkages Dr. Waseem Akram said that the University had maintained the good relations across the world to learn from each other experiences. He said that the enhanced ties with Netherland would open up new aveue of the progress and prosperity.
Dr Ijaz Ashraf said that the project has identified 12 different locations in four targeted districts; where established 24 demonstration plots (12 ware and 12 seed plots) to portray a comparison between conventional and advance potato production practices. He said that under the CABI project all possible measures were being taken to train the farmers. Dr Umair Safdar from CABI also spoke. He also visited agricultural exhibition, and greyhounds race.
