Nutrition and health: Gardezi inaugurates Centre for Genome Editing at UAF

FAISALABAD: Punjab Agriculture Minister Syed Hussain Jahania Gardezi on Friday inaugurated Center for Genome Editing for Nutrition and Health established at the Center for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security, University of Agriculture Faisalabad meant for food security and agricultural development.

The Center was set up with the total funding of Rs 1799 million. Collective funding comprises Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research worth Rs 1298.63 million and UAF worth Rs 500.960 million.

He also inaugurated the Precision Agriculture Lab and distributed 25 laptops among the special people. He also distributed the 30 Kissan cards among the farming community and kicked off plantation campaigns under the Prime Minister Green and Clean Pakistan drive.

The minister said the government had allocated Rs31.49 billion for agriculture under the development budget for financial year 2021-22 with 100 percent increment from the last year in order to uplift the sector, ensure food security and alleviate poverty. He said that at the inception of Pakistan, country population was 35 million which had reached 220 million. He lauded the agricultural scientists to ensure food security who worked day and night to come up with new varieties and technology to boost up the agricultural per acre productivity. He said we have to adopt modern technology to address the agricultural problems to ensure food security.

He said that the Genome center will help a breakthrough in the agriculture sector. He said that compatibility in the technology at par with the modern world was essential to fight different challenges. He showed his concern that our agriculture research is not compatible with the modern world so we have to work hard for the improvement. He said that they are determined to address the problems of majority of population which belong to rural areas. He said that Pakistan is counted in the top 10 countries of agriculture production. He said that the government was ensuring pro agriculture policies. He said that amid the challenges of climate changes, the government was actively working on Green and Clean Pakistan.

UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan lauded the measures being taken on the part of the government to uplift the sector which is the backbone of our economy. He said that the UAF developed 14 agrological zones of the province that will tangible results. He said that the UAF multi authored books were accessed to 8.6 people so far as a step toward creating awareness about technology enhancement. He also said that the UAF was determined to emerge as one of leading institutions in the Prime Minister Clean and Green Pakistan campaign and every employee and the student should plant at least five samplings in their surroundings to curb the gigantic climate changes which were playing havoc with the lives, agriculture and development of the country. He also called for promoting climate resilient with water conservation to avert climate change challenges in the country. He said that immediate steps should be taken to fight the devastating impact of climate change.—PR

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021