Staff Reporter
Islamabad
There is dire need of greater research coordination among the federal & provincial research partners and academic institutions to avoid duplication, overlapping and to develop a concrete agenda of agriculture research at national level.
This was stated by the 11th meeting of IPARCC was held at PARC HQs. Dr. M. Azeem Khan, Chairman PARC presided over the meeting. Dr. Shahid Hameed, Director (Coordination) PARC, welcomed the distinguished members of the meeting.
Chairman PARC apprised the house that PARC, has a broad mandate to coordinate research among federal, provincial and higher education agencies on one side and with international agencies (CGIAR) on another. PARC operates 12 satellite institutes across the country.
He briefed the house regarding the new initiatives in agriculture and described that present government has launched mega projects with worth of Rs. 310 Billion focused on wheat, rice & sugarcane inclusive enhancing command area of small and mini dams in barani areas, water conservation in barani areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. These initiatives will play key role in promoting agriculture, economic development, job growth, infrastructure improvements, technological innovation, and quality of life in rural area of Pakistan.
He further elaborated that on overcoming the emerging issues, challenges and realizing the opportunities for prosperity in rural area required action on multiple fronts, including promoting economic development, advancing Innovation and Technology, ensuring a well trained and productive work force and improving the quality of life in rural communities.
He said that the success depends, in large part on promoting two key drivers of long term growth and prosperity; broad-based productivity growth in the rural economy and connectivity of rural people to each other, to urban areas and to rest of the world.
