FAISALABAD City News

Migration of rural population to
cities a real challenge: minister
From Our Correspondent
FAISALABAD: Punjab Agriculture Minister Dr Farrukh Javed has said that massive migration of rural population to cities is a real challenge, which is not only affecting the agricultural production but also aggravating the urban problems.
Talking to University of Agriculture Faisalabad Vice-Chancellor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan at the VC’s chamber on Friday, the minister said that the Punjab government was taking all possible measures to curb the massive migration. In this regard, the Punjab government was spending Rs 15 billion to uplift the agri sector, he added. He said that the government had mapped out a plan to increase the spending up to Rs 50 billion on the agriculture sector to address food security issue and problems of the farmers. He said that the sector was facing complex challenges, including low productivity, high cost of inputs and water and climate changes issues. He stressed upon joint efforts on the part of scientists, government and other stakeholders to uplift the sector in the country. He asked the university to convene a meeting of all stakeholders on cotton to find out the best variety for increasing per acre yield at par with China. He also reviewed the security arrangements of the varsity.
The UAF vice-chancellor said that disease-free varieties needed to be promoted in the country. He said that cotton varieties having resistant against cotton leaf curl virus (CLCV) was a way to boost up the cotton production. He said that food insecurity was hitting around 60 per cent of the population. He said that the Centre for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security worth $30 million sponsored by the USAID had been established at the UAF. The centre was focusing on climate changes, biotechnology and precision agriculture, he added. He said that the UAF had spent Rs 50 million to ensure foolproof security in the university.