FROM MENAHILL RASHID
FAISALABAD: The agriculture sector is in the grip of the serious challenges including unavailability of certified seed, mechanization, fertilizer issue, market structure, traditional way of farming and others that are hampering to get benefit from our fertile land resource , said University of Agriculture Faisalabad Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan.
He was chairing UAF 47th Senate Meeting as Governor’s nominee at New Senate Hall. Registrar Tariq Mahmud Gill presented the agenda while Treasurer Umar Saeed Qadri presented the budget before the House. The house approved Rs 9,307.127 million budget for the financial year 2021-22 including non-development budget worth Rs 6,171.748 million, non-development Punjab Government for sub-campus Burewala-Vehari worth Rs 190.296 million, Water Management Research Center worth Rs38.36 million, Directorate of Financial Assistance 12.963 million, Office of Research Innovation and Commercialization 35.02 million, development ( Federal Government Funded ) worth Rs 746.451 million and development (Punjab Government Funded) worth Rs78.006 million and competitive research grant 2029.127 million.
Talking about agriculture issues, Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that it was a matter of grave concern that the country was importing edible worth 10 billion dollars. The government was looking at the UAF to address the problems of agricultural and farming community so that the country can become self-sufficient and food security. He urged the agricultural scientists to come up with viable solutions to the agriculture issues.
He said that in November, the UAF contingent of more than 20,000 young students visited farmers’ fields in five divisions of the province meant to disseminate new wheat technologies to increase per acre production. The students moved with Agriculture Extension Department officials and staff during the Punjab Government wheat campaign. He said that in March, the UAF arranged one of the world largest three-day national equestrian show set up in which 2000 stallions across the country participated.
He said that UAF has launched a massive home gardening project in Lahore, Islamabad, Toba, Vehari, and others. He said that home gardeners would be encouraged to plant different fruits, vegetables as well as flower plants and tannings were being imparted to them.
He said that malnutrition has emerged the one of the largest crisis that is hitting 40 percent of the people. A healthy lifestyle and awareness of better nutrition among the people was need of the hour. He said that with the help of Korea, under the Ehsaas Program, Pak Korea Nutrition Center had been established at the UAF to fight with challenge. He said that UAF was making all-out efforts of the farming community, agriculture and rural development with help of trained manpower, research and outreach.
He added that National Incubation Center is being established in order to commercialize the technology developed by students and agricultural experts at the national level and promote entrepreneurship.
He said that the Bank of Punjab will cooperate with the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) to convert UAF Old Campus, established in 1906, into a state-of-the-art country first agriculture museum. He said that the university has mapped out a comprehensive plan to preserve its century old heritage and glory to present it before the people. He said that the university had played a pivotal role in producing skilled agriculture manpower and tangible research work. In the museum, the agro-cultural development would be preserved for the next generation. He said that it gives me immense pleasure that development project has surpassed 10 billion this year.
He said that at the time of inception of Pakistan, the population of country was 70,000 people which have now touched to 8 million people but we have only two fruit and vegetables markets. He said that there is need to develop new fruit and vegetables markets with enhanced structure. He said that PAMRA helps enrich Pakistan’s food basket and provide a better deal for the farming community and consumers.
