Speakers Call for Increased Investment in Agri Research

In Lahore, this was the crux of a workshop titled ‘modern tools for sustainable agriculture’ arranged by CropLife Pakistan at Muzaffarabad.

Pakistan needs to invest in agricultural research, controlling post-harvest losses, introducing modern technology and innovations, and following international standards and certifications besides motivating commercial attaches for promoting our products in their respective markets to boost the agricultural exports and ensure prosperity for the country and the farmers.

Speaking at the workshop, PARC Chairman Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali regretted that Pakistan’s allocation for agricultural research is only 0.18 percent of the agricultural GDP while Sri Lanka is allocated 0.62 percent, China 0.5 percent, Nepal 0.45 percent, and India 0.29 percent of their agricultural GDP.

Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) Chairman Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali chaired the proceedings while it was addressed among others by the CropLife Executive Director Rashid Ahmad and experts including Muhammad Asim, Tallal Hakeem, Murtaza Qaddusi, Muhammad Shoaib, and Development Consultant Babar Malik.

He said Pakistan has a big potential to improve its agricultural exports and earn precious foreign exchange. Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali said that our annual import bill of oil, which consists of palm oil and soya oil, is US$ 3 billion.

Original Link: https://www.brecorder.com/news/40135095