Agricultural research system: inappropriate investment mars efficiency

Efficiency of agricultural research system has deteriorated due to little and inappropriate investment, lack of co-ordination, planning and poor monitoring and evaluation. This was stated by the Chief Executive Punjab Agriculture Research Board (PARB) Dr Mubarik Ali while talking to Dr Sajjad Mubin, Director General Monitoring and Evaluation (DG M&E) of P&D department. Dr Mubin attended a meeting at the Board.
Dr Mubarik Ali talking about agricultural research said that efficiency of agriculture research system has deteriorated due to less investment or inappropriate investment, planning and poor monitoring and evaluation. He also talked about structural weakness of the system, includes no business like environment, no mechanism to fund and prioritise emerging issues, no involvement of stakeholders in research planning, poor research-extension-farmer linkage and little international exposure. He also briefed the process through which a project has to pass before reaching its final decision of approval.
Dr Mubarik Ali stated PARB has approved 43 research projects having collaboration of national and international institutes. All the projects are monitored by member monitoring and evaluation PARB regularly.
In a reply to Dr Sajjad Mubin question that why should we fund agricultural research, especially when Pakistan is passing through a critical phase of poverty, Dr Mubarik Ali said that we can enhance production through agricultural research and what we are doing today, that's needed to be done before 10-15 years. He quoted a successful example of Rice Research Institute Kala Shah Kaku by informing that this single institute, even having so much infrastructure problems, has enhanced rice export up to 2 billion dollars per year by giving suitable rice varieties.
The astonishing fact which Dr Mubarik Ali shared through a recent World Bank report showed that even a poor country like Bangladesh was funding 30 percent on agricultural research as compared to Pakistan. Dr Mubarik Ali suggested increasing international collaboration in PARB funded projects by saying that it is the best way to learn latest technologies and innovative ideas.