15 research projects approved to ensure food security in Pakistan

FAISALABAD: The UAF’s US Pakistan Centre for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security (USPCAS-AFS), the University of California Davis, the US, and the Washington State University, the US, have approved 15 agriculture-based research projects to work jointly to ensure food security in Pakistan.

It was decided in the second steering committee meeting of the USPCAS-AFS at the UAF. Speaking on the occasion, the UAF vice-chancellor said that they had received over 280 agricultural research proposals out of which 30 potential research proposals had been shortlisted in 11 priority areas of the agriculture sector, which was directly linked to the food insecurity.

He said that 30 proposals had been further shortlisted for the approval of 15 projects. He said that the research was themed in 11 priority areas, including stressed tolerant germplasm of cotton and wheat, vaccine development for foot and mouth, pest management strategies, control of tree dieback, increasing health and nutrient value of food, biotechnology, water security and policy matters.

He said that the food security was the challenge for the world. He said that heat tolerant varieties, adaptive measures for climate changes, value addition, reduction in post-harvest losses and policy measures were prerequisite to fight the challenges of food insecurity and modern era.

He said that the research would provide solution to the problems of the farming community and food security. Dr Jim Hill of the University of California said that besides the research grants, 250 scholarships were being given under the USPCAS-AFS in the five years. He said that one-third of the scholarships were for the thematic areas, one third for need based and one third for open merit. He said that the work under the USPCAS-AFS would come up with the viable solutions to the problems of the farming community.

Dr Bashir Ahmad said that under the faculty exchange programme, nine UAF faculty members were sent to the universities of the United States to exchange the benefits from each other’s experiences, he added. He said that seven of them had returned and another batch of seven professors had been sent to the University of California and the Washington State University.