Biotechnology can play a vital role in development of agricultural sector, as it has the capacity to revolutionise agriculture, health, industry and environment sectors to meet the challenges of WTO.
This was stated by Chairman, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (Parc), Dr Badaruddin Soomro while chairing the first session of a three-day National Conference on Agricultural Biotechnology at Nathiagali.
The National Commission on Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology has organised the conference in collaboration with Parc, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) and the Higher Education Commission (HEC).
Dr Badaruddin Soomro said, the world-wide biotech crop acreage rises 15 percent to hit 167.2 million acres in 18 countries. It can help the food deficit countries to find latest solutions to their existing problems, he added.
He said that biotech has the capacity to revolutionise various sector to meet the challenges of WTO and alleviate poverty in the country and achieve national targets for prosperity of society.
He said biotechnology has substantially contributed to revolutionise agriculture, resulting in better understanding of plant and animal functions, use of molecular markers for speedy breeding, characterisation, conservation and exploitation of genetic resources, powerful and sensitive diagnostic tools to manage parasites pets and pathogens and also development of vaccines for protection of livestock from fatal diseases.
Dr Soomro said that in Pakistan drought is becoming a major threat to our crops every year particularly in Balochistan and some rain-fed areas of Sindh and Punjab.
Dr Kasur Abdullah, Secretary, National Commission on Biotechnology (NCB) said, a draft of National Biotechnology policy and action plan has been prepared.
He said, several biotechnology departments have been established in public and private sector, to activate this important areas in the country.
On this occasion, biotech experts presented nine technical papers on various aspects of agricultural.
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