Sindh Agriculture University Vice Chancellor Bashir Ahmed Sheikh on Friday unveiled a 10-year programme, costing Rs 3.5 billion, to revamp the academic and research programme.
He was presiding over the 18th Senate meeting held at Sindh Agriculture University campus Tando Jam.
The plan envisages revamping of research and academic programmes to meet the international standards, to introduce emerging disciplines in the university and to produce market-oriented graduates.
The vice chancellor said that major emphasis has been given to human resource development covering 40 percent of the total proposed budget. Other components of the plan includes apportionment of 21 percent of the budget for establishment, 18 percent civil works, 12 percent for equipment and consumable, 8 percent for repair and renovation of existing building, while the remaining 3 percent has been earmarked for transportation, books and standby power arrangements.
He said after the brain storming exercise and a series of interactions with the senior faculty members, as many as 27 defined areas of research and development have been identified, which includes exploiting water management technologies to conserve and efficiently utilise irrigation resources to combat water logging and salinity, desertification and deforestation and to exploit potentials of coastal areas resources of Sindh, arid and Bio-saline agriculture and livestock development, improvement in communication technology and its link among all the stakeholders through electric and print media and other means of communication, to produce quality seed and make provision of conservation of plant/animal germ plasm, to improve livestock production through artificial insemination and embryo transfer technology, exploitation of animal product technologies, pest management and post-harvest technologies, waste utilisation and exploitation renewable energy resources.
He said establishment of 20-institutes, centres and departments have been proposed in the master plan to work on focused areas. He said an Arid Agriculture, Livestock Research and Development Centre at Mithi, estimated to cost Rs 117 million, is being under the consideration of the federal government for inclusion in the development package of Tharparkar district.
He informed the Senate members that the faculty members had already started development projects in focused areas of research so that the real benefit of the priority research could be harvested and shared with the stakeholders.
He said Agriculture University is committed to boost agriculture productivity by providing trained manpower, research and latest technologies to help in improving socio-economic conditions of the rural masses.
Moreover, he said that the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has become most critical challenge for Pakistan and its implication on agriculture undoubtedly surpasses all other threats confronted by the agriculture and other sectors of the economy.
He said that it was the need of the hour to formulate new long-term policies and embark upon new projects in agriculture sector to cater to the needs of the ever-increasing population of the country.
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