Sino-Pak agri cooperation to help address food security challenges: minister

FAISALABAD: Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Dr Kauser Abdulla Malik has said that Sino-Pak agricultural ties and joint efforts will help address the issue of food security and to learn from each other’s experiences.

He addressed participants of 4th Belt and Road Initiatives (BRI) Sino-Pak agricultural forum arranged by the Institute of Horticultural Science, University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF). He also chaired farmer day in connection with a wheat campaign arranged by the Directorate of Farms.

Provincial Agriculture Minister S M Tanvir, UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan, Pakistan Agriculture Research Council Chairman Ghulam Muhammad Ali, PMAS Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi Prof Dr Muhammad Naeem UVAS Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Nasim Ahmad, Huazhong Agricultural University China President Dr Zhaohou Li, Huazhong Agricultural University China party Secretary Zhang Hongrong, Pro-Vice Chancellor UAF Prof Dr Muhammad Sarwar Khan, Director Horticultural Sciences Prof Dr Ahmad Sattar Khan, Director Research Prof Dr Jafar Jaskani, Dr Raheel, Director External Linkages Prof Dr Muhammad Saqib and other notables addressed the conference.

DG Extension Department Punjab Dr Ishtiaq Hussain, Principal Officer PRP UAF Prof Dr Jalal Arif, Director Extension Faisalabad Division Dr Abdul Hameed, Director Farms Dr Shahid Ibne Zameer also spoke at the Wheat Campaign Ceremony.

Dr Kauser Abdulla Malik said that collaborative efforts and scientist to scientist contacts between both countries will open up new avenues of progress and prosperity.

He said that the wheat campaign is a hallmark step in which students and scientists interact with the farmer community to put agriculture on a scientific basis. He said that with organized agriculture we can increase our production manifold.

He said that valuable research work and new technology development is being done. However, there is a need to transfer it among the farmers community.

SM Tanvir said that Pak-China ties began in 1951 and both the countries are enjoying brotherhood relations in every field of life.

He said that in the recent past as many as twenty agreements have been inked with Chinese institutions in different fields including agriculture, infrastructure, industry and other areas.

He said that Chinese investment in different areas would utter a new journey of development. He said that climate change is posing a serious threat to the world for which we have to pace up efforts.

Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that if the agriculture sector performs, the rest of the sectors also flourish. He said that UAF was running tangible projects with Chinese Institutions to combat the agriculture challenges.

He said that UAF is also housing the Chinese Confucius Institute. He said that UAF in collaboration with the agriculture extension department has launched a wheat campaign that will help increase productivity.

He said that due to the last year campaign average production has gone up three mounds per acre. He said that we have to break the stagnation in the agriculture sector so that dream of self sufficiency can be met easily.

He said that collaboration among agricultural institutions is vital to feed the ever increasing population. He said that UAF has developed a heat tolerant wheat variety that will boost-up productivity many fold.

Dr Zhaohou Li and other Chinese counterparts said that the both countries are having time tested ties and enhanced collaboration would help increase the production and to learn from each other’s experiences.

Prof Dr Muhammad Sarwar Khan said that the wheat campaign is in full swing that will bring tangible results.

Dr Ahmad Sattar said that with collaboration we would address the agricultural challenges.

Dr Jafar Jaskani said that the university was making all out efforts to address the issues of the farming community.

Huazhong Agricultural University China also inked separate MoU with University of Agriculture, Faisalabad and Arid Agriculture University for academic collaboration and student exchange programme. In the wheat campaign ceremony Dr Shahid Ibne Zameer said that the university is also distributing hybrid wheat seed among the farming community on a trial basis that will help flourish technology to raise production.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023