Islamabad - National Assembly’s Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research (NFS&R) has appreciated the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) for taking new initiatives for the development of agriculture sector to ensure food security.
A delegation of the Committee, led by its Chairman, Malik Shakir Bashir Awan was given detailed presentation on PARC functions and its new initiative during its visit to National Agricultural Research Center (NARC) here. Additional Secretary (MNFS&R), Rao Iftikhar Ahmad, Chairman PARC, Dr. Iftikhar Ahmad, DG NARC Dr Muhammad Azeem Khan and other senior officers and officials were present on the occasion.
The NA committee members assured their support to PARC and agricultural research culture and urged the scientists to disseminate their new knowledge and technology among farming community for the promotion of agriculture and to enhance productivity for food security in the country. This will also improve socio-economic condition of the small farmers, the members maintained. On this occasion, Chairman PARC, Dr Iftikhar Ahmad briefed the members about the goals of agriculture sector to support high growth strategy of the government to reduce rural poverty and achieve food security on sustainable basis by making agriculture more productive, profitable, competitive and sustainable. He briefed the members about PARC functions and its research activities, National Agricultural Research System as well as about research coordination with international and national partners. Dr Iftikhar Ahmed also shared PARC success stories, transformation of agriculture into industry, financial benefits of PARC developed technologies, olive in Pakistan, HR and knowledge dissemination activities and development financial resources. On this occasion, DG NARC, Dr. Muhammad Azeem Khan, Member NRD, Dr. Nadeem Amjad, Member PSD, Dr Shahid Masood and other senior scientists also briefed the committee members about on-going projects of PARC at NARC and facilities to benefits small farmers to promote agriculture on modern lines. They said PARC and NARC were committed to reduce poverty in the country and achieve food security on sustainable basis with the collaboration of national and international partners. Later, the Chairman and committee members along with Ministry high officials and PARC management visited NARC where they were taken to canola field area, bioremediation of sewerage water for irrigation site, livestock research farm and poultry.
They also visited American channel catfish in Pakistan site, Angora rabbit production, gene bank of PGRI, tissue culture, National Institute of Genomics and Advance Biotechnology (NIGAB), Horticulture and Animal Sciences Institutes National Reference Laboratory for Poultry Diseases (NRLPD) and other sites to observe PARC initiatives.