Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (Parc) and CIMMYT - a Mexico-based non-profit research international organisation - will co-operate in the field of agriculture research. The CIMMYT (Centrol International de Mejoramiento de Maiz y Trigo) is an International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre dedicated to the development of improved varieties of wheat and maize.
This was discussed at a high level meeting held here between Parc Chairman Dr M.E. Tusneem and a two-member delegation headed by CIMMYT Director General Dr Thomas Adam Lumpkin here. Director General, Extension Punjab, Dr Mushtaq Ahmad Gill, Dr Mujib Kazi and other senior scientists were also present.
Dr M.E. Tusneem informed the meeting about various research activities being carried out by Parc through federal, provincial, national and international collaboration. He said that food security, rural poverty; sector governance; management of natural resources; product and factor markets; climate change and competitiveness/globalisation were the new challenges to meet.
He said strengthening of sector policies and institutions; social safety nets for poor and vulnerable groups; fair price to farmers; improved access to rural financial services; improved sector governance; focus on small farmers; access production forecasting; promotion of resource conservation technologies and market liberalisation and improved market infrastructure needs strategic planning.
He apprised that Parc research strategy had been revised and research agenda prioritised in line with the agricultural development strategy articulated in the Medium Term Development Framework (MTDF) and Vision 2030.
He said Special Pay Scales (SPS) adopted by Parc and Degree Awarding Institute, National Institute of Genomics and Advanced Biotechnology (Nigab), Patco (pvt) Ltd for Patenting had been established. He further said that Board of Governors had been reconstituted with 15 members representing all major stakeholders.
Speaking on the occasion, CIMMYT Director General Mexico Dr Thomas Adam Lumpkin said that CIMMYT was committed to improve livelihoods in developing countries through strong science and effective partnerships. He said CIMMYT used knowledge and technology to increase food security, improve productivity and profitability of farming community and sustain natural resources.
He said that disease surveillance and wheat breeding was already underway to monitor the fungus and to develop UG99 resistant varieties. However, more efforts were required to develop long term durable resistant varieties that could be made available to farmers in affected countries, he added. Earlier, the delegation called on the Minfal Secretary and later Member Planning Dr Kausar Abdullah Malik, where they discuss mutual collaboration in agriculture sector.