Researchers asked to resolve farmers’ problems

FAISALABAD: University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan has asked the researchers to come up with viable solutions to the problems of farmers.

He said this while addressing the teaching and administrative staff of the varsity at the Staff Club, UAF, on Monday. The UAF VC said that it was a matter of grave concern that farmer’s son does not want to become a farmer due to low profitability, heavy post harvest loses, marketing and other challenges.

He expressed concerned that despite having sufficient food, 40 per cent women and children were malnourished. He said that the government was taking revolutionary steps to address woos of the farming community in the shape of Kisan Package and other initiatives.

He said that the Punjab Agriculture Policy was being redesigned in order to uplift the sector keeping the need of the modern era. We were losing upto 40 per cent of our produces in the post-harvest process, he lamented.

He said that it was need of the hour to ensure modern agricultural practices to make the agriculture sector a profitable business. He was of the view that the country was blessed with four seasons, fertile land and talented people.

He said that with the passage of time, climate changes were being underway declining our resources. He said that the university was meant for ensuring the food security and addressing the problems of the farming community. He said that the university had emerged as a role model institution owing to healthy reforms in research, teaching and outreach programmes.

He said that the university had changed the mindset of the employees and taking the tangible steps in term of research worth Rs 2.5 billion, community building and knowledge. He said that during his tenure, 160 employees had been sent abroad for higher studies where 265 completed the post-doctorate. Public Relations and Publications, UAF, Principal Officer Prof Dr Jalal Arif said that there was no sign of the UAF in the international ranking in 2008, but now it had emerged in the list of top 100 elite universities of the globe.

He said that the Punjab government had given a task of redesigning the Punjab Agri Policy to the UAF VC that would bring development and prosperity in the sector.