‘Poverty, climate change and agriculture closely linked’

Islamabad : Prof Gerrit Hoogenboom from the University of Florida, USA, has said that agriculture helps in food, fuel, textile, agro-plastics, and horticulture.

Dr Hoogenboom was addressing an International Webinar on “Climate Change and food security” organised by South Asian Strategic Stability Institute (SASSI) University here Tuesday. Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali, Chairperson, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, inaugurated the webinar.

Dr Hoogenboom said that agriculture also brings sustainability to weather. He said we need fertilisers, and agro-medicines to increase output and face pest and weed attacks.

He referred to price fluctuations and marking strategies. He said we need decision tools like depending upon experimental approach, going for computer modelling or crop modelling so that we may optimise our resource, and production and increase our ability to project and predict.

Abdul Hamid Akbar, Director, SASSI University, said that FAO and IAEA are supporting all member states to develop and implement in their home countries the production of agricultural products such as wheat, rice, maize, potato, soybean, etc, and other staple foods and fruits. Plant seeds are irradiated to improve their resilience and productivity. Insect pest control technique is useful for birth control of pests, modifying protected valuable crops such as citrus fruits.