ISLAMABAD, Sep 16: Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock Sikandar Hayat Bosan on Thursday directed the agriculture scientists to concentrate on the new technologies to increase productivity levels of crops and livestock at cost effective levels.

Speaking at shields awarding ceremony of agriculture scientists the Minister said "they should also come up with water savings devices to meet the shortages of water and introduce improved farm mechanization practices for field crops."

He said they should diversify farm inputs through developing allied pursuits as honey bee, poultry, fish farming and others. Bosan stressed upon them to play a role in reaching farm communities in transfer of technologies and improve quality of agricultural products.

He said farming sector plays an important role in the national economy as it provides food to the consumers and fibre to the domestic industries. "It is a major source of foreign exchange earnings as well as it provides market for industrial production," he added.

Agriculture Minister said Pakistan's agricultural sector constitutes about 25pc of the national economy and also provides employment for 44pc of its labour force. It has important forward and backward linkages, especially with regard to the supply of raw cotton to the textile industry.

The current year poses difficult situation because of poor monsoon, law water storage and surface flows of water, he said adding the agriculture sector further faces the challenge to increase its productivity in a sustainable way to feed population.

"In the wake of our increasing water needs and ever increasing population, our agricultural scientists have to accelerate their efforts for increasing agricultural production of the country," he added.

Sikandar Bosan said Pakistan has to maintain its competitiveness in international markets to meet international standards of food safety, environment, safe production processes with efficient quality control system.

He said the vital role of research in the development of agriculture needs more attention and agricultural research is essentially required to obtain increased and sustained production to meet the food needs of growing population as well as to provide raw materials for the agro-based industries in the country.

It is the most effective means to minimize reliance on imports, achieve social equity, remove poverty and improve quality of life, he added. He said the four provinces had established a large number of institutes and stations to meet their specific needs of agricultural research.

The activities of these institutions needed to be coordinated at national level to make judicious use of resources in terms of manpower, money and materials, he added.

Sikandar Bosan said PARC is liable to coordinate agricultural research being carried out in the provincial and federal institutes and the universities with a view to concentrating attention on national problems.

It has to undertake basic and long-term research in areas of national importance, which are either inadequately covered or are beyond the resources of provincial institutes and require sophisticated equipments and other such facilities, highly qualified manpower and frequent and intensive contacts/ exchanges with international agricultural research system, he added.

He said it has to build in-service and pre-service manpower training facilities for country's agricultural research system. Government has made heavy investment in PARC in respect to buildings, laboratories, manpower development promotion of agricultural sciences, he added.

He also gave away shields to the 11 scientists in recognition of their services in various fields of research. Earlier, Dr Badar uddin Soomro, Chairman PARC highlighted achievements of the institution and presented various problems faced by the PARC. -APP