March, 29 2005	Tuesday	18 Safar 1426

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PESHAWAR, March 28: NWFP Governor Khalilur Rehman on Monday asked agriculture scientists and researchers to identify the problems being faced by farmers and find out practical solutions to those problems. He was addressing ‘Convocation 2005’ of the NWFP Agriculture University. In all, 47 graduates were given awards and medals for attaining distinctions in various disciplines. Mobina Shaukat and Abdul Rehman were given presidential awards at the ceremony attended by academicians, parents and students.

The governor said the government considered agriculture as one of the priority sectors for local and foreign investment. A number of incentives had been offered in the current budget, including concession on import duty on implements and liberal credit facilities by banks to the farmers.

He referred to a package announced by President Pervez Musharraf recently in which customs duty on agriculture implements and establishment of tractor plants had been abolished.

He said that import of tractors without General Sales Tax and withholding tax had been allowed and the existing 5 per cent import duty on raw material used in the production of pesticides was being withdrawn.

Mr Rehman said these initiatives pointed to the resolve of the government and policymakers to boost the agriculture sector.

About the role of the agriculture university in the growth of the economy, he said the university had taken vital initiatives for encouraging research in the agriculture sector.

He noted that the university had undertaken various research programmes and initiated practical steps in improving agricultural education and research, biotechnology, genetic engineering and information technology.

The NWFP Agriculture University has been meeting the local and foreign demand for trained manpower and it has been instrumental in introducing new crop varieties besides providing help in the rehabilitation of the agriculture sector in Afghanistan.

The governor urged the vice-chancellor and the faculty to double their efforts to make the institution a seat of excellence in higher learning and research.

He underlined the need for establishing a network in which agriculture scientists, the academia, the extension agents, entrepreneurs and the farming community were all mutually integrated.

Mr Rehman congratulated the graduating students and paid tribute to teachers and parents for their endeavours in educating, coaching and supporting the students to accomplish pride of performance.

“Your parents and teachers have played their part well. Now it is your turn to harness your knowledge and expertise for the welfare of the people who are dependent on agriculture,” he asked the graduates.

He advised the students to keep in touch with developments in respective fields.

Earlier, Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Syed Iqbal Shah, in his welcome address, highlighted the performance, achievements and role of the university in boosting the agriculture-based education and research.

The vice-chancellor pointed out that the university had won more than two dozen research projects from within the country and abroad.

He said that a project on tea research and development had been initiated under which 300,000 plants had been raised and added that work had started on olive cultivation.