ZTBL, UAF agree to work for farmer community's progress

The Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) and University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) have agreed to work together for enhancing transformation of new technology and researches to the farmers' community to face the agricultural challenges.
ZTBL Chief Executive Zaka Ashraf addressed a session titled "value addition in Pakistan: challenges and opportunities" arranged by the National Institute of Food Science and Technology, University of Agriculture Faisalabad in collaboration with Pakistan Society of Food Scientists and Technology" on Friday. UAF Vice-chancellor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan lauded the steps taken by bank in this regard.
Nifsat Director General Dr Faqir Muhammad Anjum, Dr Punjab Agri Marketing Company CEO Babar Ehsan Bajwa, Nuclear Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Food Science Division Deputy Chief Scientist Dr Aurang Zeb, School of Food Science Washington State University Professor Barbara Rasco, University of Idaho Gleyn E Bledsoe, Food Business Consultancy CEO Ibrahim Husain and UAF Faculty of Agriculture Dean Dr Muhammad Ashfaq, also spoke on the occasion.
Zaka said that ZTBL would start a partnership with the university to provide its researches to the farmers across the country. The Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) provides guideline to farming community about use of modern technology that would help bring green revolution in the country. He said a couple of years ago, the bank was facing losses but now it is generating profit. He said that the university provide a platform of development on the horizon of agriculture through its researches but due to the negligence on the part of extension workers, the researches could not be implemented in the fields. He stressed the need to strengthen the extension workers wings of the government.
UAF Vice-Chancellor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said the festival is being organised to end the gap between researches and farmers and a series of programmes is to sensitise the masses about the agriculture. He said that the university has expedited the process of producing researches so that the work in the ten years will equal to five folds more than previous decade.