ISLAMABAD, Feb 26: The Central Development Working Party at a recent meeting has approved a Higher Education Commission project to strengthen and develop the Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam.

According to the HEC, the project aims at improving professional knowledge base and skills of the university teachers as part of a faculty development programme through long and short term foreign trainings. The project includes human resource development of 41 faculty members at foreign universities for PhD studies.

It will also strengthen the existing infrastructure and academic facilities of teaching and research which will improve the quality of education.

New centres in priority areas of Seed Production and Development, Plant and Animal Genetic Resource Conservation and Bio-saline Agriculture will be established to consolidate and effectively utilize the resources in a focused manner.

Laboratories will be established in Agronomy, Plant Breeding, Genetics, Soil Sciences, Horticulture, Animal Breeding and Genetics, Animal Reproduction, Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Education departments.

The successful implementation of the project will help the university to embark upon research on various issue related to agriculture and its applied sciences. It will help disseminate appropriate technologies aimed at decreasing cost of production and increasing production.