FAISALABAD City News

Call for collaborative efforts for agricultural growth

From Our Correspondent

FAISALABAD: US Consul General Yuriy R Fedkiw has called for collaborative efforts for agricultural growth at the global level.

He said this while chairing a seminar and inaugurating a newly-constructed $30 million US-Pakistan Centre for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) here on Thursday. He stressed the need to understand the relationship among food, energy, water and economic security. He said that we have to find the way to fight the climate changes, which was disturbing our planet. He said that Pakistan had faced a number of disasters in the last decade. Pakistan agriculture was making significant contribution to the national economy, providing 23 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product and engaging 45 per cent of the workforce, he added. He said that the women were the primary food producers in the developing countries. The women comprised 43 per cent of the labor force in the agriculture sector, he added. He said that the United States was committed to creating economic and employment opportunities for the people of Pakistan and considered the agricultural sector a top priority. He said that agriculture must provide food security, environmental sustainability and economic development. He said: “We are confident that our investments in partnership with the government of Pakistan will bring long term positive growth in the sector.”

The US consul general encouraged the UAF students to find innovative solutions to address Pakistan’s agricultural challenges and identify opportunities that would benefit the people of the Punjab.

Speaking on the occasion, UAF Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that the USCAS-AFS was designed to support Pakistan’s economic development by strengthening the relevance and responsiveness of university products. He said that five chairs on climate changes, biotechnology precision agriculture, outreach and policy had been set up for research and development purposes. The CAS was working with its American partner, the University of California, to share an extended outlook of innovative research ideas and exchange of best academic practices, he added. He said that a group of farmers had been sent to America and China to know about the latest practices in the sector. He said that the UAF was revamping the agriculture policy to make it farmers friendly.

Aussie Deputy High Commissioner Jurek Jufzczyk said that Australia was making collaboration with the Pakistani institutions to uplift the agriculture sector. He said that Australia had faced drought about a decade ago. With the strategies and creating awareness among the public, they had prepared themselves for the future challenges, he added.

National Assembly former speaker Fakhar Imam said: “We are sending water of 30 million acre back to the sea every year.” He stressed the need to construct new reservoirs.