PESHAWAR, Feb 7: Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock Sikandar Hayat Bosan said on Wednesday that economic and structural reforms would make agriculture a vibrant sector.

Speaking at the inauguration of Pakistan Agricultural Research Council’s (Parc) silver jubilee celebrations here on Wednesday, the minister said that the incumbent government had initiated a series of reforms which stabilised the country’s economy.

In order to exploit the full potential of country’s agriculture, the technologies being developed currently must effectively reach farmers, he said, adding that the technological advancement should be pro-poor that would ultimately improve livelihood of the rural communities.

Lauding the role of agricultural scientists in overall agro-development of the country, Mr Bosan said that despite the growing influx of population, their performance was encouraging.

“These scientists have played a vital role in achieving food security in the country,” he said.

He said the application of biotechnology had enabled the scientists to introduce new high-yielding varieties of crops, resistant to pest and diseases.

He maintained that the Parc had done a remarkable job in averting the bird-flu epidemic and minimising damage to poultry industry by putting in place early warning system and surveillance facilities.

The minister expressed the hope that the restructuring of Parc would not only enable the council to steer National Research System (Nars) but also lead the process of innovations in agricultural research making the farm sector more productive, profitable and competitive in the international market.

He also distributed awards among scientists and farmers who excelled in developing various types of seeds and crops.