The Social Sciences Division of the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (Parc) will review annual plan in its first quarterly review meeting to be held on November 25. Parc Chairman Dr Badaruddin Soomro, will inaugurate the one-day first review meeting at 9.30 am at the National Agricultural Research Centre (Narc). Parc Social Sciences Division Chief Scientific Officer Dr Waqar Malik will present an overview of the SSD activities and also present review of the annual plan.
Narc Director General Dr Muhammad Ashraf will present address of welcome. The social scientists of the country will participate in reviewing the activities of the SSD and its satellite institutes engaged across the country and finalise the future plans for development of agriculture.
It is to be noted that SSD covers research on socio-economic issues in the arena of agriculture. The socio-economic research includes diagnosis of factors limiting crops productivity, farming marketing technology, evaluation, and its transfer to the farmers, agricultural trade, biometrics, etc.
The field research is conducted through six Technology Transfer Institutes (TTIs) located at the heart of the provincial agricultural research systems, including AJK, Northern Areas, and a Narc Social Sciences Institute here. The social sciences research is done in close collaboration with the biological and natural resource scientists.
The research primarily focuses on supporting farm technologies, design, and transfer to the farmers' fields, besides, studies on measuring the impact of farm policies and technologies on farm output, poverty reduction, employment as well as problems identification, technology verification/validation, profitability analysis, monitoring, and evaluation.
Dr Waqar Malik apprised that seven technology transfer institutes (TTIs) have been established throughout Pakistan at Faisalabad, Tandojam, Peshawar, Islamabad, Quetta, Gilgit and Muzaffarabad (AJK) for speedy and sustained dissemination of the improved technologies being continuously generated by the Parc scientists.
This process of technology transfer is in action in close collaboration and under a symbiotic relationship with the provincial extension departments, district governments, NGOs, and civil society.