Experts call for promoting value chain in agriculture sector

Agri Scientists and Experts emphasized the need for further efforts to develop and promote value chain and decent work in agricultural sector that will not only help to alleviate poverty but also fetch heavy foreign exchanges. They were addressing International Symposium on 'Global Value Chains Decent Work Deficit in Agriculture: Present Challenges and Future Prospects' arranged by Institute of Business Management Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF).
IBA Sukkur Vice Chancellor Dr Nisar Ahmad Siddique said that agricultural is the backbone of our economy that is contributing 20 percent to gross domestic product. He said that illiteracy is one of the major challenges for the country that is root cause of many problems. He added that there is need to promote the latest trend in the agriculture sector. He said that qualified son of a farmer does not want to be a farmer. He called for taking measures to make agriculture a profitable profession. He said that they had initiated talent hunt programme in IBA. The scope of the programme is being widened in the all provinces of the country. He said that without ensign the quality education, we cannot compete with rest of the world.
Centre for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security Director Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that the country is having the surplus food, thanks to agricultural scientists, farming community and policy makers. He said at the time of inception, the country population was just 35 million which has now risen to 210 million. Before green revolution, per acre wheat production was 8 mounds whereas now, the average farmer is getting 50 mounds wheat per acre. He said that the gender mainstreaming was the vital to make the development and to address the various issues. He said that knowledge has no boundaries. ICDD provides the platform to learn from other nation experiences especially in the field of agriculture. He lauded the initiatives of Punjab Agriculture and Rural Transformation Programme
UAF Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Iqbal Zafar, in his message said that in the recent years, global value chains have emerged as important development strategy. The developing countries consider it as an opportunity for export diversification in the global economy. He said that overtimes, boarders between economic sectors had become increasingly blurred due to the globalization and fragmentation of production. He added today international production systems have changed the traditional way of looking at investment, production, finance, information systems, and technology. There is a need to bring about the changes in the overall production and marketing system. The global agricultural productions system are now more about the social and integration of multicultural and economies in the modern era. He lauded the steps being taken on the part of ICDD. Dr Asif Ali said academia-industry strengthened ties were imperative to compete with the rest of the world. He said mechanical picker had been introduced in Multan that will not only increase cotton production but also address the confronting health issues of female pickers. He said that International Centre for development and decent Work is the consortium of eight countries to work together on agriculture and social issues in which UAF and MNSUA were partnered. He said that as many as 61 students were awarded scholarships in the International Centre for Development and Decent Work.