FAISALABAD, Sept 29: The University of Agriculture will train growers under the endowment fund for agriculture education research.

The US department of agriculture will provide $12.4 million as a part of its food for progress grant programme, according to Prof Dr Husain Qureshi, vice-chancellor of the University of Agriculture.

Talking to Dawn on Monday, he said an agreement had been signed by Pakistan and the US governments for this project. The US would also fund projects of advance training in biotechnology, agricultural sciences research, technology transfer and product commercialisation.

Beside, it had agreed to support similar programmes of other institutions of higher learning, and promote research in the country.

He said all these activities to be funded with the proceeds generated from the sale of commodities donated under this programme would meet our current and future needs.

He said a comprehensive research strategy would be formulated in consonance with the modern-day requirements, suited to the soil and topographic and other environmental conditions of the country.

Mr Qureshi said over 95 per cent of the development projects, requiring Rs253.93 million, were being carried out at the campus to improve teaching and research by equipping the laboratories with modern tools and updating syllabi.

protest: A large number of labourers, daily wage workers and vendors on Monday took out a procession to protest against price hike, unemployment and the industrial policy of the Punjab government.

It was organized by the Faisalabad Labour Federation, the Powerloom Workers Association, Janbaz Textile Labour Federation, Nishat Workers Union, Vendors Association Faisalabad and Kiln Workers Union Faisalabad.

The procession started from Zila Council and after marching various city roads, the participants reached Clock Tower intersection where they held a demonstration.

Speaking on the occasion, trade union leaders criticized the government’s industrial policy and demanded its immediate withdrawal.

They said the amendments made in the Industrial Relations Ordinance 1969 were against the interest of the workers and aimed at providing maximum powers to the industrialists.

Rejecting the IRO-2002,

They said that most provisions of the IRO 2002 were against the conventions of the International Labour Organization, to which the Pakistani government was a signatory.