HYDERABAD: The agricultural and educational experts, scientists and social reformers of the country have emphasized on the sustainable use of all resources and adoption of modern agriculture to deal with the possible food crisis in the future, while experts suggested that the policy makers should play their role to make cultivable the 62% of land resources of arid area of the country and legislating for the reduction of pesticide in crops.
They said these things while addressing the “Policy Dialogue on Reduction of Pesticides in Pakistan under Plant Wise plus Program” under auspices of Sindh Agriculture University and in collaboration with Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI).
Addressing on the occasion Dr. Fateh Marri, Vice Chancellor Sindh Agriculture University has said that Pakistan’s mineral reserves are many times more valuable than the world’s major high-tech companies, while a large area of the country’s agricultural resources is desert, where modern and organic agriculture can be promoted instead of canal agriculture.
He said the international organizations are willing to invest in Pakistani agriculture, which will explore opportunities for urban, arid and precision agriculture, “The green supply chain will have to be promoted by restricting the use of pesticides.” He stated.
Dr. Babar Ehsan Bajwa, Senior Regional Director for Asia of CABI Pakistan Office, said that the country’s population is expected to reach 338 million by 2050, while there are the negative effects of climate change are also occurring, which may lead to food shortages, so we will be involved in research with experts to prevent climate change and the possible spread of invasive pests and diseases.
Dr. Muhammad Tariq Khan, Director of the Pesticide Reduction Program said in his presentation that CABI in Pakistan has officially launched the Plant Wise plus program to help improve food security in Pakistan through more sustainable methods of food production.
He said in Pakistan on one side, a large part of the produce is lost before use, on the other side, pesticides are also a barrier to our products’ access to the global market, so we need to reduce crop losses of small farmers.
On the occasion the experts from SAU, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Mehran University Jamshoro, Pakistan Agriculture Research Council, Agriculture Research Sindh, Agriculture, Irrigation, Agricultural Extension including Dean Dr. Aijaz Ali Khoharo, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ismail Kumbhar, Dr. Abdul Mubeen Lodhi, Dr. Saleem Ashraf, Dr. Naeem Aslam, Dr. Zeeshan Ali, Dr. Liaquat Bhutto, Dr. Tauqeer Shaikh, Dr. Asmatullah, Muhammad Idrees Rind, Ali Nawaz Chana, Muhammad Ayaz. Dr. Imran Khatri, Dr. Ghulam Qadir, Dr. Rizwan Ali and other experts and scientists participated.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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