FAISALABAD
Deforestation, floods, climate change, water scarcity and lack of warning system are posing serious threats to food security that needs attention of researchers, policy makers and industrialists, disclosed experts during a meeting.
The first meeting of newly established USAID Funded-Centre for Advanced Studies in Food Security and Agriculture (FSA) was held at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad. The session was chaired by CAS Director Dr Bashir Ahmad.
Briefing the audience about the centre, Dr Bashir Ahmad said five chairs had been established under the CAS-FSA that includes Agricultural Policy Chair; Climate Change Chair; Biotechnology Chair, Precision Agriculture Chair and Outreach Chair. He said the population of the country was increasing rapidly whereas the water reservoirs and agricultural land was diminishing. He said that effective measures are needed to fight with the food security and agricultural changes. He said CAS will have a council for research and policy to work as think tank to develop, review and recommend policies that support and enhance CAS-FSA research and academic activities. He said that CAS would offer 100 postgraduate (20 PhD, 80 MS) scholarships every year to talented students.
He said that it will also provide off-campus learning experience to at least 200 students at the University of California, US. He said it will initiate to develop a rigorous process of curriculum reforms to improve the relevance and quality of its educational programs. The five new postgraduate degree programmes, with multidisciplinary approach will be launched at the UAF in collaboration with CAS.
CAS Climate Chair Head Dr Ashfaq Ahmad said, “We need to re-define agro ecological zones and introduce new cropping patterns in line with the ecological zones. We also need to come with climate resilient agriculture, biotechnology/genetically modified crops, diversification and agri services.”
He said that the proposed research agenda of the chair was climate change monitoring system, establishment of Agri Data Bank based on climate, crop and livestock data for stakeholders. He also called for working and promoting the climate resilient agricultural practices. Farmer Dr Manzoor Thakar said that the US had water reservoirs for 1,086 days, followed by China and India but Pakistan is no more there as it has only 28-day water reservoirs. He stressed a need to devise policies for compensation of the farmers affected by climate change. He said that the population was rapidly increasing thereby causing many problems including food and urbanisation.
Chief Meteorologist Dr Gulam Rasool said that rising mercury in the region can destroy most of the cultivable land if tangible steps were not taken. He said that changing patterns of rainfall, melting of glaciers and increasingly common tropical cyclones need to be coped.
CAS Director Irfan Abbas said that there was a gap between academic and industry which must be bridged. He said that under the CAS, an all-out effort would be made to address the issue of food insecurity and agriculture.
Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist Farjeel Javed said that agriculture and information technology could help increase productivity. He said that Precision Agriculture is being practiced in all developed countries. “We have to adopt such measures to ensure the food for increasing population,” he said.