1,000 agricultural graduates to China: SAU VC hails PM’s initiative

HYDERABAD: The Vice Chancellor of Sindh Agriculture University (SAU) Dr Altaf Ali Siyal on Monday said that the role of youth was of fundamental importance in promoting the agriculture sector in the country and their active participation was essential for its sustainable development.

He expressed these views while addressing the concluding ceremony of a two week capacity building programme for youth hosted by the university.

Dr Siyal said that the initiative of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to send 1,000 agricultural graduates to China for a three-month training programme on modern agriculture was highly beneficial and significant. He added that youth from Sindh had also been included in the program, for which the capacity building initiative was launched at the university.

He requested the federal government to provide all 131 participating students with the opportunity to travel to China, as they had completed the training with great enthusiasm and maintained 100 percent attendance.

The Vice Chancellor thanked the ministry of national food security and research, higher education commission Islamabad, the chief secretary Sindh and the universities and boards department Sindh for their support in making the two week program successful. In his online address, the secretary universities and boards Muhammad Abbas Baloch said that investing in youth education and professional skills would help promote social and economic development. He said that the initiative of sending 1,000 agricultural graduates to China would help address challenges in key areas such as food security, sustainable agriculture, climate change adaptation and rural development in the province.

He appreciated SAU for launching the youth capacity building program and congratulated the Vice Chancellor and his team for the initiative. He also thanked the higher education commission and the ministry of national food security and research for including Sindh’s youth in the program.

The project director of the higher education commission Saima Noreen said that the federal government was committed to strengthening the agriculture sector through young agricultural graduates. She said the program offering training opportunities in China had been initiated by the Prime Minister for 1,000 youth.

She added that the two week capacity building program at Sindh Agriculture University was organized to prepare agricultural graduates from Sindh to compete for the available training slots. She appreciated the university administration for successfully meeting the expectations associated with the program.

Saima Noreen assured that a proposal would be submitted to the federal government to provide all participating graduates with the opportunity to receive further agricultural training in China so they could enhance their skills in modern agriculture.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026