July 16, 2006	Sunday	Jumadi-ul-Sani 19, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, July 15: The Research Advisory Committee (RAC) of the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) on Saturday stressed the need for a national research policy to achieve the “gene revolution”.

The meeting was held here at the PARC headquarters with the council’s chairman Dr M E Tusneem in the chair. Chairman Pakistan Science Foundation, NM Butt, and other members of the committee also attended the meeting.

An official source said the committee also expressed its concern over government’s inability to provide the required funds to the PARC and the general lack of attention to research sector in Pakistan.

A number of members were of the view that Pakistan was still busy in the wild goose chase of achieving the so-called “green revolution” while the world was focussing on the “gene revolution”.

They said a strong national research policy was the need of the hour and the government would have to commit more funds and devise a well-planned strategy to change the present dismal state of research affairs for the better.

Officials told the meeting that the PARC was working in close collaboration with the federal and provincial research institutes and universities through the forum of RAC.

RAC comprises the chairman and technical members of PARC, chairman PSF, director generals of provincial agriculture research departments, deans of faculties of agriculture and veterinary sciences, agriculture universities Faisalabad and Peshawar, progressive farmers and other stakeholders.

In his opening remarks, Dr Tusneem said that PARC was an apex research body and had a strategic role in advancing agricultural research. It was mandated to stay on the forefront of scientific and technological advances for which a strong central research system was essential to formulate and implement national research strategy consistent with the agriculture development objectives, envisaged in the Medium Term Development Framework (MTDF) 2010 and Vision 2030.

Based on the deliberations and guidance of the National Assembly’s sub-committee on food and agriculture PARC had been developing a new agriculture research strategy. Therefore, the meeting was timely.

Dr Tusneem maintained that PARC’s vision continued to be “research for prosperity” with emphasis on people and food security.