ISLAMABAD, Aug 5: Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan on Saturday said the government was according high priority to agriculture research and development to meet the challenges of food security, poverty reduction, improve quality of life for rural masses and export competitiveness in the global markets.

He stated this while presiding the 26th meeting of the board of governors of Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (Parc) here.

The meeting was attended by Secretary Minfal Ismail Qureshi, Chairman Parc Dr M.E. Tusneem, Member Planning Commission Dr. Kausar Abdullah Malik, vice chancellors of the agricultural universities of Faisalabad, Tandojam, Peshawar, Quetta, progressive farmers and members of Parc management team.

Chairman Parc made a presentation on the council's future strategic plan, its research agenda and various reform initiatives to achieve the targets. The board dwelt at length on the budgetary requirements of Parc, its proposed silver jubilee celebrations in December 2006 and the scientific human resource development in agriculture. It gave invaluable suggestions for strengthening the national agriculture research system and also unanimously approved the Parc annual budget for fiscal year 2006-07.

Sikandar Bosan in his speech said, "We must help provide the necessary incentive structure to the agricultural scientists to exploit their creative potential to the well-being of our people in order to achieve these objectives."

The minister said the Medium Term Development Framework (MTDF) for 2005-10 sets out ambitious targets for growth in the agriculture sector with emphasis on high value agriculture, improved productivity, profitability and exports.

These targets, he added, could only be achieved if agriculture is led by a viable, innovative and productive research system in the country.

Underlining the strategic role of Parc in advancing agricultural research, Sikandar Bosan said the council was mandated to stay on the forefront of scientific and technological advances by implementing the national agricultural research strategy consistent with the agricultural development objectives and needs of the farming community. —APP