ISLAMABAD, April 5: A five-member World Bank mission led by Sakwa Bunyasi, the team leader, on Thursday called on chairman, Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC), Dr. Badaruddin Soomro, and discussed the current agricultural scenario and policies regarding restructuring of entire agricultural research system of Pakistan.

Presenting an overview of PARC and its vital role in the agricultural research system of the country, Dr Soomro said: “We don’t have any formal linkage with the extension services but we are now trying to draft an ordinance for involving ourselves officially in extension. This is an area where we have lagged behind and we need to establish technology transfer units in all our establishments scattered in the provinces, plans for which are underway,” he said.

The integration of research with extension, he said, was top priority of the council.

The mission inquired about the restructuring plans and desired to know the policy framework for private sector research.

The other members of the mission were Gajan Pathmanathan, sector manger, rural development South Asia Region; Constance Bernard, sector director, research development sector unit; Adolfo Brizzi, sector manager, rural development sector unit, South Asia Region; and Rashidul Qayyum, senior agriculture specialist, South Asia rural sector development unit, World Bank.

IRAQI TEAM: At a separate meeting with the PARC chairman, a two-member Iraqi delegation comprising Dr. Basal Dalali, deputy minister for agriculture and Dr. Hamza Kahdm, assistant professor, Baghdad University, discussed various matters to explore the possible avenues of collaboration between the two countries.