NIFA marks Farmers’ Day: Coordination stressed for agriculture sector development

PESHAWAR: Agriculture, Livestock and Cooperatives Secretary Muhammad Israr on Wednesday called for coordination between various provincial and federal agricultural entities for the overall development of the agriculture sector.

“Those associated with both federal and provincial agricultural research and extension organizations should search for economic and effective solutions to problems being faced by farmers of the province,” said Muhammad Israr, Secretary Agriculture, Livestock and Cooperatives while speaking as chief guest at the Annual Farmers’ Day in the Nuclear Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Peshawar.

Abdul Jabbar Khan, Advisor to the Member Sciences, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), highlighted the on-going research endeavours in the four agricultural centres of the PAEC with special reference to NIFA, Peshawar.

He shared with the participants the details of 21 high yielding varieties of different crops developed by the NIFA. These are successfully being cultivated in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The official highlighted the NIFA’s scientific contributions to other agricultural fields like soil and environmental sciences, crop and medical entomology, preparation of a variety of food items and their long-term preservation through peaceful applications of radiation technology. The secretary Agriculture lauded the contributions made and innovations created by the scientists of NIFA. He greeted the NIFA’s administration as well as scientists for organizing such a successful event for the benefit of the KP farming community.

The farmers also spoke on the occasion and shared problems related to crop productivity, insects/pests, water shortages etc with the chief guest as well as the scientists.

The chief guest urged the technical personnel to devise a practical strategy to address these problems and also assured every possible help at the provincial government’s level. In the end, Director, NIFA, Dr Wisal Muhammad, thanked all participants as well as the chief guest for gracing this annual farmers’ day event.

Prof Mahmud Aurangzeb, a noted surgeon and Chief Executive Officer of the PGMI HMC, Peshawar as the guest of honour, said that he was proud to see the KMU playing a leading role towards promotion of health professions education and research particularly in the province and generally in the country.

He said that change has been the essence of life since the beginning, but the pace of change in recent times has been unprecedented. It has become absolutely essential that we keep abreast with the significant curricular and organizational changes that have been taking place in the training institutions worldwide. The theme of the conference reflects the real need to change with the changing times.

“I hope this conference will encourage all the faculty members to equip them with medical education, which has been made mandatory by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council”, said Prof Mahmud Aurangzeb.

Earlier KMU Vice-Chancellor Prof Arshad Javaid, Technical Officer WHO EMRO Prof Gohar Wajid and Director IHPE&R Dr Usman Mahboob talked at the inaugural ceremony. In the end shields and souvenir of KMU were presented to the guests.