Punjab Agricultural Research Board (PARB) has decided to conduct technical evaluation of all 53 research projects funded so far under competitive grant system. The Board has decided to constitute a committee comprising of renowned agricultural scientists, which will initially submit evaluation report of 12 funded projects amounting to Rs 185.789 million within two weeks.
This was decided in 26th meeting of Punjab Agricultural Research Board chaired by Minister for Agriculture, Punjab Malik Ahmad Ali Aulakh. The Board also granted approval of appointment of Executive Member (M&E) and Executive Member (A&F) whereas the recommendation of Selection Committee of PARB against the appointment of Executive Member (P&P) was referred back for reconsideration.
Minister for Agriculture said that PARB is funding output oriented research projects on high priority issues and for this purpose 53 projects under competitive grant system costing Rs 1.00 billion has been approved by PARB so far. He said that out of these 53 projects 7 projects have completed research phase and are now at commercialisation phase.
He said that newly approved varieties of sugarcane CPF-246 and CPF-247 is result of one of these projects. He said that we have been left far behind in technological innovation in agriculture, livestock and other allied sectors in the country. To make up for the deficiency, we have to adopt a two-fold strategy: One is to strengthen our local research institutes, and the second is to import available international technologies for local adaptation.
This government has invested over Rs 150 million through PARB on various research projects to find local solutions to the key issues in the cotton sector, he added. The minister said that the funds allocated for all the projects by PARB are public money and no misuse of these funds will be tolerated. He said that an effective monitoring and evaluation system has been implemented for judicious use of funds.
The meeting was also attended by Member Punjab Provincial Assembly Shah Jahan Bhatti, Secretary Agriculture, Punjab Muhammad Mushtaq Ahmad, Secretary Forest & Fisheries Shah Nawaz Badar, Vice Chancellor UVAS Talat N. Pasha, Chief Executive PARB Dr Mubarak Ali, Chief Economist P&D Department Arif Anwar Balouch, Director General Agri. (Research) Dr Noor-ul-Islam, representatives of Finance Department, Livestock Department and progressive farmers.
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