The Minister for Food Security has expressed resolve to transform country’s apex agricultural research body, after a joint assessment conducted alongside China identified chronic under-investment, outdated laboratories and equipment, weak research and persistent brain drain as major challenges for Pakistan Agr¬icultural Research Council (PARC).
The comprehensive study, carried out by Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, in collaboration with PARC, aimed to identify structural gaps in Pakistan’s agricultural research system and propose a roadmap for institutional revitalisation in line with global scientific standards. Chairing a meeting to review the study, Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanvir Hussain announced revamping of the institution under strategic reform and cooperation plan with China to transform it into a modern, efficient, and innovation-driven body capable of leading country’s food security agenda.
Agriculture plays a dominant role in economic development of the country both in terms of efforts aimed at achieving food security and meaningfully increasing exports. The PARC was established in 1981 to act as apex national organisation for agriculture, working to provide science-based solutions to agricultural challenges and strengthen research system in collaboration with federal and provincial entities. Its key achievements include developing high-yielding and disease-resistant crop varieties, creating new fruit varieties, and improving livestock through genetic enhancement and vaccine development. The organisation effectively demonstrated its potential to promote agriculture through a number of projects and research activities yet there was an impression that the PARC could not live up to the fast-changing world mainly because of lack of funding and necessary support by government. The priority authorities accorded to the PARC can be gauged by the fact that in 2015 a proposal was floated by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to use prime land of Pakistan Agricultural Research Centre in Islamabad (meant for essential agricultural research and experimental fields for establishment of a residential housing scheme, which was abandoned after stiff resistance by the scientific community as well as civil society and intervention by the superior judiciary.
The attitude of our planners and financial managers towards research institutions is also a big hurdle in the way of R&D in the country. In this backdrop, the decision to carry out a joint study joint study to assess the performance, infrastructure, and capabilities of PARC, National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), and its eleven research institutes was in itself an achievement and commitment of the Minister to act upon the recommendations augur well for progress and development of the agricultural sector in the country. The report emphasised that overcoming these challenges requires a holistic reform strategy focused on sustainable funding, efficient performance evaluation, stronger linkages between research and farmers and better coordination between federal and provincial research bodies. It also underscored the need to align research priorities with national goals of food security, climate resilience and economic growth through development of a National Agricultural Science and Technology Roadmap. The resolve of the Minister is reflected by his remarks that recommendations of the Chinese ministry and academy would be implemented “in letter and in spirit” to make PARC a hub of agricultural advancement, ensuring that farmers benefit directly from modern technology, value addition and research-based solutions.
We hope the Ministry would lobby with other relevant ministries especially the Finance Division, provinces and above all the Prime Minister to transform recommendations into practical plans and projects, overcoming bureaucratic hurdles. It would also be worthwhile if similar studies are carried out in respect of other institutions engaged in research and development to identify roadblocks and suggest measures to turn them into vibrant research bodies.
