FAISALABAD - The four-day Rabi Kissan Mela organised by the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) as a part of its golden jubilee celebrations concluded here on Saturday. UAF Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan chaired the prize distribution ceremony arranged at the conclusion of the fair to award winners of various contests. The Ayub Agricultural Research Institute clinched first position in agri exhibition, while the Faculty of Animal Husbandry and the Women Industrial Home stood second and third, respectively. Addressing on the occasion, Prof Dr Iqrar Khan lauded the efforts of the staff for making the celebrations memorable. He said the varsity produced 50,000 graduates and 850 PhDs in the field of agriculture and was ranked by the Higher Education Commission as one of the best universities imparting education throughout the country. The vice-chancellor said that about 350 PhD holders were working with the varsity and out of them, 200 were foreign qualified. He said the university was committed to providing quality education and uplifting the agriculture sector. Faculty of Agriculture Dean Prof Dr Muhammad Ashfaq thanked the workers and audience for making the event successful. Plant Breeding and Genetics Chairman Prof Dr Abdus Salam also spoke on the occasion. Shields were given away to the conveners of various committees set up for the event. Late agricultural scientists, who worked with the varsity, were also awarded Lifetime Achievement Awards posthumously for their valuable contribution in the fields of agriculture and education. The awards were received by their family members. The festival included agricultural exhibition, international conference, international seminar, Kissan Convention, Mehfil-e-Milad, cultural shows and many others programmes in which scientists from 30 countries participated. Workshop Sericulture Industry held: Scientists from the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, have developed nutrition supplement for the rearing of silk worm that will double the fiber strength of silk abstracting from silk worm. This was revealed at a national workshop titled Sericulture Industry in Pakistan on Friday at old Senate Hall organized by the Department of Agri Entomology. Member of National Assembly Tariq Bajwa presided over the workshop. MNA Tariq Bajwa stressed the need to promote said technology by introducing it as cottage industry in rural areas in a bid to full the dream of prosperity in particular and alleviation of poverty in general. Faculty of Agriculture Dean Prof Dr Muhammad Ashfaq said the silk is naturally suitable to human body as it becomes part of body in heart surgery etc. Lauding the efforts made on the part of the scientists, he termed it landmark achievement. He said the university was committed to bring positive changes on the horizon of agriculture by developing new things for the uplift of the sector. He said that the sericulture industry had great potential to recognize itself as catalyst of change by creating economic activities at rural level with a lot of job providing opportunities. Prof Dr Anjum Sohail, Prof Dr Sohail Ahmad, Dr Dildar Gogi, Ghulam Sabir and Faqir Nusrat Hussain also spoke on the occasion.