NAROWAL: Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal announced on Sunday the establishment of a sub-campus of the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (UAF) at Narowal to develop trained labour and tangible agricultural research work.

He made the remarks at a farmers’ gathering hosted by the UAF and the Punjab Agriculture Extension Department. The gathering was part of the organisers’ ongoing nine-day wheat enhancement effort to boost farmer awareness about the current wheat sowing trends.

Mr Iqbal said that despite being an agricultural country, Pakistan imported edible goods worth billions of rupees. He characterized the Prime Minister’s Agriculture Package, worth Rs1.8 trillion, as a watershed moment in the sector’s rehabilitation and progress and urged agricultural scientists to help boost yields.

Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan, UAF vice-chancellor, emphasised the importance of promoting mechanisation and cutting-edge agricultural practises in order to boost wheat output, ensure food security, and reduce poverty.He also stated that farming should be made a profitable career in order to ensure agricultural sustainability.

Dr Anjum Ali Bhuttar, director general of the Punjab Agriculture Extension, said that they reached out to farmers in 22,000 villages with information on the latest technology. He stated that the campaign would provide students with firsthand knowledge of farming and farmer issues. He stated that completing wheat sowing in November will boost productivity.

Up to 30,000 students and their teachers, according to UAF Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture Dr Muhammad Sarwar Khan, were in fields around the province training farmers about planting, irrigation, cultivation, weed removal, and harvesting.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2022