Punjab province: average wheat crop output only one-third of its potential

Average production of wheat crop in Punjab province is only one third of its potential. The peracre yield can be doubled within few years by re-establishing linkages between agricultural education, research and extension activities.
This was stated by Vice Chancellor University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Professor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan while talking to delegation of Agriculture Journalists Association (AJA) who visited the ongoing UAF Golden Jubilee Festival. Dean Agriculture UAF, Dr Muhammad Ashfaq, Director Agriculture Information Punjab and, Muhammad Rafiq Akhtar were also present on the occasion.
UAF Vice Chancellor said, unlike Indian Punjab's Ludhiana Agriculture University, the first Agriculture University of the Country was entrusted with the responsibility of education only while separate institutions were set up for research and extension activities. This proved counter productive for the development of agriculture sector in the Punjab province. He said that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had set up committee to streamline this issue.
Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that agriculture journalism was being introduced as a subject in the Bachelor of Science courses in the next academic year and hoped that this step would be instrumental in making all the stakeholders aware of the latest developments in the field of agriculture.
Responding to a question, he said that there was a need to increase funding of projects at the Agriculture University. Terming research activities in the field of cotton insufficient, UAF Vice Chancellor said that concerted efforts were needed to overcome the Burewala strain of Cotton Leaf Curl Virus, which was still a major threat to cotton crop in the Punjab province.
Dr Muhammad Ashfaq, Dean Agriculture briefed the AJA delegation regarding the 50-year history of the university. He also took the members of the Association to an exhibition arranged by the University in connection with its Golden Jubilee celebrations and briefed them about various stalls established by different departments and items on display. Earlier, President AJA Zahid Baig and Secretary General Muhammad Luqman briefed the university management about the working of the Agriculture Journalists Association.