MUZAFFARABAD, July 3: A three-day conference of social scientists under the aegis of social sciences division of Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (Parc) was opened here on Friday by AJK minister for agriculture and animal husbandry Mallick Mohammad Nawaz.
The objective of the conference, being attended by 40 social scientists from all over the country, was to review the achievements and devise future strategies for socio-economic research and transfer of tested technologies developed by the research institutes of the country.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister urged social scientists to devise a strategy whose implementation could help farmers not only increase their income but also meet the cereal and vegetable needs of Azad Kashmir.
The AJK government, he announced, would provide all possible facilities to encourage farmers to obtain maximum production from their fields.
The minister also underlined the need to pass the results of research work to farmers so that the country could be put on the path to progress.
Earlier, Dr Waqar Malik of Parc, told the moot that the council had established seven technology training institutes in the country, including the AJK.
He said all possible steps were being taken to pass on the research results to farmers.
Dr Malik said that the total wheat yield of the country was 6 million tons in 1960 but "today it has risen to 22 million tons", a result of expediting the research work in the agricultural sector.
Similarly, the production of sugarcane, rice and cotton had also increased, he added.
"We prepare such strategies for farmers which lower their production costs on the one hand and augment their income, on the other," he asserted.
He added that the agri business section also ensured provision of cheap machinery to growers.
Dr Malik also expressed the hope that the conference would help strengthen contacts between AJK and agricultural institutes of Pakistan.
He said that a Rs4 million technology transfer project had been approved for the AJK, and initiated from July 1.
He invited the AJK officials to visit the Parc office, which was accepted by the minister.
Later, secretary agriculture Sardar Latif announced on behalf of the minister that the AJK government would look into providing a piece of land to Parc to establish a permanent TTI office in Muzaffarabad.