January 28, 2007	Sunday	Muharram 08, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Jan 27: A bilateral agreement on cooperation in agriculture sector was signed between the governments of Pakistan and Nepal in Kathmandu. Secretary, Ministry of Food Agriculture and Livestock, Pakistan, Mohammad Ismail Qureshi, and Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperative, Nepal, Ganesh Kumar K.C, signed the document on behalf of their respective governments, said a message received here on Saturday.

Under the agreement, the ministries of agriculture of the two countries would mutually cooperate in promoting agriculture development and work in association with other scientific research and development institutions.

The areas of cooperation, inter-alia, include exchange of experts and literature, sharing of knowledge and technologies, human resource development, mountainous areas farming development, conservation and management of soil and water, watershed management, farm/social forestry and range land management, cold water fisheries and aquaculture, agriculture and forests products, livestock breed improvement and feed production.

The agreement would encompass other areas of cooperation in the field of agriculture, including livestock, fisheries, food technology and forestry-related research and development.

Both the countries would also establish linkages between their respective institutions and would facilitate the exchange of researches, extension workers and stakeholders. —APP