'The Government and the people of Pakistan are thankful to Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) for extending its commendable support for infrastructure development, bringing reforms in health, education, environment, water and sanitation, agriculture development, irrigation and drainage in Pakistan.'
The Vice Chancellor, Faisalabad Agriculture University (UAF), Professor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said this to JICA country officer, Hiroshi Yoshida, who called on him in on Wednesday.
Dr Iqrar while recognising JICA's services said that the UAF was a major recipient of JICA as it has provided sophisticated equipment for laboratories, common use and for the library and the university's publishing department through Grant Aid of worth 902 million yen.
He applauded JICA for providing technical co-operation project for Pakistan and said that JICA experts are working as specialists in each required field within the framework of Technical Co-operation Project. 'As partner in development, JICA experts living and working among the people in local conditions, have won numerous good will, and they have been accorded the most cordial hospitality as Pakistani people are enjoying long lasting friendship with Japan and looking forward for more co-operation,' the VC said.
Yoshida told the VC that JICA provides training opportunity in Japan to the counterpart personnel of the TCPs. The aim of this training is to transfer knowledge, technical know-how and experience to enhance capacity of the Pakistani people.
He said that JICA is also working on capacity building for solid waste management with nine district governments of the country to enhance efficiency in solid waste collection and transportation management, sanitary landfill construction, operation and management. These activities are based on semi-aerobic method, appropriate operation and maintenance of vehicles used in solid waste management and to enhance public participation in solid waste management.
Yoshida further stated that JICA dispatched emergency supplies of tents and blankets to Pakistan following an earthquake of 6.5 magnitude, which hit near Balochistan Province of Pakistan on October 29, 2008.
The Director, Water Management Research Centre, Professor Dr Rai Niaz Ahmad briefed the visitor about his project activities and achievements. He said that his centre along with provincial irrigation department used to make an effective liaison with farmers' associations of Khurarianwala, Kilianwala and Mongi distributaries command areas so as to transfer to the farmers various technologies of water economy and raised bed plantation technology.
He told the visitor that about his working on a project, 'On farm research and development component of rehabilitating lower chenab canal system (Part-B)'. This is a project of Japan Bank for International Co-operation (JBIC) worth Rs 70 million to encourage water saving irrigation technologies and expanding the area under raised bed plantation technology, which showed about 50percent savings of irrigation as compared to flood irrigation with 25percent yield increase for wheat, cotton and maize.'
Wheat on bed-furrow system encourage inter-cropping of sugarcane in later February or early March without loss to yield of both the crops and recent experiments of rice on bed-furrow method have shown 30-40percent water saving with almost 26percent increase in yield.
He said that people are on way to adopt new water saving technologies and applying raised bed plantation technique to enhance their production and save water. Later, Yoshida visited command areas of Khurarianwala distributary and met with the farmers.
Separately, the National Institute of Food Science and Technology, UAF will organise a one-day workshop on 'Recent advances in food analysis' at the Nestle Hall on Saturday February 7, 2009 The Provincial Minister for Food, Malik Nadeem Kamran will be the chief guest of the event while the VC, UAF will preside over the inaugural session of the workshop.