The US Pakistan Centre for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security (USPCAS-AFS), University of Agriculture Faisalabad; University of California Davis, USA and Washington State University USA have approved 15 agriculture based research projects to work jointly in order to ensure food security in Pakistan.
It was decided at the second steering committee meeting of the USPCAS-AFS held at the syndicate room, UAF with Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan in the chair. University of California Davis' professors Dr Jim Hill, Dr Thomas Rost, Dr Nancy J Allen, Dr Chris Pannkuk, USPCAS-AFS Chief of Party Dr Bashir Ahmad, Farmer Associates Pakistan's CEO Afaq Tiwana, Progressive farmers Manzoor Thakar, Muhammad Faisal Shah, and other experts also attended the meeting.
The Vice Chancellor said that they have received over 280 agricultural research proposals out of which 30 potential research proposals have been short listed in eleven priority areas of the agriculture sector which is directly linked to the food insecurity. He said that the 30 proposals have been further short listed for the approval of 15 projects.
He said that the research was themed in 11 priority areas including stressed tolerant varieties of cotton and wheat; vaccine development for foot and mouth; pest management strategies; control of tree dieback; increasing health and nutrient value of food, biotechnology, water security and policy matters. He said that food security was the challenge for the world. He said that heat tolerant varieties; adaptive measures for the climate changes; value addition, reduction in post-harvest losses and policy measures were the prerequisite to fight the challenges of food insecurity and modern era.
He added that the researches would provide solution to the problems of farming community and food security. Dr Jim Hill said that besides the research grants, 250 scholarships are being given under the USPCAS-AFS in the five years. He said that one third of the scholarships are for the thematic areas; one third need based and one third are on the open merit. He said that the work under USPCAS-AFS would come up with the viable solutions for the problem of the farming community.
Dr Bashir Ahmad said that under the faculty exchange programme, 9 UAF faculty members were sent to the universities of the United States to exchange the benefits from each other's experiences. He said that 7 of them had returned and another batch of 7 professors had been sent to the University of California Davis, USA and Washington State University, USA.
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