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FAISALABAD, Oct 17: The University of Agriculture vice-chancellor has said efforts should be made to increase the per acre yield of food and cash crops besides developing an efficient marketing system and an effective transport and storage system for the alleviation of poverty and hunger.
Speaking to the agricultural scientists at a meeting held in connection with the World Food Day here on Sunday, Prof Dr Bashir Ahmad said the food and hunger problems in developing countries and increasing imbalances in the world food economy demanded international attention and development of new food strategies.
He said the people relied on variety of life for food, shelter, goods, services and livelihood, but due to ever-increasing human population, biodiversity was under threat. More than 40 per cent of the land's surface was being used for agriculture, giving farmers a large part of the responsibility for protecting biodiversity. It was estimated that one third of the world population was under-fed while another one third was ill-fed, he said.
He said better agricultural practices and techniques could not only maintain the fragile balance of their farm and surrounding ecosystem but also help conserve biodiversity. For conserving biodiversity in agriculture, he said, we had to halt damage to farmland so that farming could protect and restore biodiversity within and around the agricultural ecosystem. "Let us mark the time and accept the challenge to feed more than 840 million people who remain hungry around the world and who suffer from malnutrition. Let us try to reduce the number of hungry by half by 2015, which is the main object of this world food day," he said.
University's Director Research Dr Abdul Ghafoor revealed that the FAO had expressed concern over the low agricultural productivity in major parts of the world. The situation was alarming in ago-based developing countries of which Muslim countries were a major component.
POLICE CLAIM: District Police Officer Mohammad Amin claimed on Sunday to have arrested 54 criminals and smashed 13 gangs of outlaws during a month-long campaign launched in rural areas.
Talking to newsmen, the DPO said special raiding teams combed the entire areas of Chak Jhumra, Thikriwala, Saddar, Dijkot and other villages and arrested 54 outlaws wanted in over 106 cases of murder, attempted murder, dacoity, highway robbery and theft.
The police smashed Shahbaz Gang, Shakeel Gang, Asif Gang, Sajjad Gang, Amjad Gang, Zahid Gang, Shahzad Chatha Gang, Bashir Gang, Zaheer Gang, Mazhar Gang, Yaseen Gang and Fateh Sher Gang.
He said the police recovered the looted articles, cash and valuables worth millions of rupees from the arrested gangsters.
He said a comprehensive network had been introduced in both the rural and urban areas to keep the law and order situation under control. Special commandos had also been deployed at all sensitive points of the city to avoid any untoward incident, he said.
SHOT DEAD: A youth was shot dead by a villager in Chak 73-JB, Thikriwala, here on Saturday night. Younas attacked Riaz when he was sitting in his house. Riaz sustained serious injuries and died on way to hospital. Police have registered a case.
