Wheat demand likely to be 29.06 million tons by 2015

Pakistan would have to feed more than 200 million people in 2015 and expected wheat demand at that time would be 29.06 million tons. It could never be fulfilled without making tangible governing interventions of ensuring timely provision of irrigating water, seeds, fertilisers and other valuable inputs and later procuring as much as produces by the government that would certainly bridge the need-supply gap and prosper the rural economics.
This was stated by Professor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan, Vice Chancellor UAF while addressing the reception ceremony of newly-elected members of National & Provincial Assemblies organised by the Department of Public Relations & Publications at New Senate Hall on Saturday Evening.
Dr Khan emphasised to put the food security on top of the agenda item as it was determined to steer the country out of energy crises. He was of the view that without increasing investment in the fields of agriculture, science & technology and livestock, the fruits of prosperity could not be harvested at National Level.
UAF Vice Chancellor maintained that after aggressive exercise of quality standardisation and innovative research outcomes, UAF has been placed at 142nd position in Global Universities QS Ranking of USA which is Golden Landmark for the Country. He added that this ranking will grow vertically to achieve excellence in the days to come. He expressed his concern over stagnation of National Wheat yield at 25 million tons and stressed the need for adopting new technologies to cross the production barriers. He lauded the generous support of previous Punjab government for the University which enabled us to complete record development projects at the campus.
Dr Khan urged the newly-elected members of the parliament to put their weight for providing more funds to UAF that would certainly pave a way to ensure higher education facilities to the poor and neglected rural youth of the country.
He termed the shrinking water resources, a daunting challenge and asked the members of parliament to use their influence to steer the university out of circular debt caused by recent deficit budgets by injecting more resources.