Conference held on SAU’s sub-campus: Experts recommend drought-tolerant crops for Thar

HYDERABAD: Experts addressing a conference called for strict implementation of a ban on hunting to conserve population of deer, hog deer, partridge, rabbit and antelope in Thar and proposed that an avian research centre be established where remedies for diseases afflicting peacocks and other birds in the region could be found.

The experts speaking at the two-day First International Conference on ‘Biodiversity of Arid Zone’ held at the sub-campus of Sindh Agriculture University (SAU) in Umerkot recommended drought-tolerant crops for the sustainable uplift of Thar and development of new seeds for such crops. They also stressed the need for establishing a research centre in Thar to save bird species.

The conference held at the SAU’s new sub-campus in Umerkot was aimed at discussing the uplift of the desert areas of Sindh and during its proceedings several national and international experts presented their research papers.

Vice Chancellor of SAU Tandojam Dr Fateh Marri, Pro Vice Chancellor of SAU’s sub-campus Dr Jan Muhammad Marri, VC of NED University of Engineering and Technology Dr Sarosh Lodhi, former VC of Liaquat Medical University Dr Bekharam Devrajani, former VC of Mehran Engineering University Dr Aslam Uqaili, well-known writer Prof Noor Muhammad Jhinjhi, Director General of Pakistan Agriculture Research Council Dr Zakir Dahri and other experts presided over different sessions of the conference at which about 170 abstracts were presented. As per the conference themes, two plenary sessions and six panel discussions were held apart from the technical sessions.

In the recommendations adopted for the conference, the experts pointed out that the livelihood of about 35 percent of the people of Thar depends on agriculture and 36 percent on livestock. They said that about 30 percent of the camels of Sindh are kept by the people of Thar.

Therefore, academics and public and private research organisations and food industries should jointly undertake efforts to enhance productivity of camels. In the same way the commercialisation of camel milk and making byproducts from it for economic prosperity of herd-men was emphasised. They said that cheese made from goat milk should be promoted and recommended its export. In Tharparkar the goat milk is 100 percent organic and its products may be sold readily in the international market, thereby earning huge foreign exchange.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023