ISLAMABAD, Dec 5: Australia has shown willingness to launch a mega project aimed to grow various crops on thousands of acres affected by water logging and salinity in Pakistan.

A spokesman for the Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) told Dawn on Sunday that the Centre for the International Agricultural Research, Australia, was willing to expand the waterbed technology to other parts of the country where big chunks of land remained uncultivated due to salinity and water logging.

He said the centre had already tested the technology in Mardan where farmers were now growing wheat and canola on land that had remained uncultivated for fifteen years due to water logging and salinity.

A two-member delegation consisting of Dr Tony Fischer and Dr Kuhu Chattergee met Pakistan Agriculture Research Council Chairman Dr Badruddin Soomro and scientists at the National Agriculture Research Council to discuss the project.

The spokesman said Mr Fischer observed that farmers would be the real beneficiaries if they adopted the raised-bed technology. He said in Western Australia the centre was getting a yield increase from 30 to 50 per cent on waterlogged soil by cultivating plants such as cereal and canola.

Mr Soomro said Pakistan Agriculture Research Council was implementing a strong research programme to improve the land and water use efficiency in the country. He said the council was trying to strengthen the agriculture research system through coordination and liaison with donor agencies.