ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Fakhar Imam on Monday said Pakistan needs to create public-private partnership to enhance agricultural research in the country.

Fakhar expressed these views while presiding a meeting with a delegation of Food Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. The delegation was led by FAO representative in Pakistan Rebekah Bell.

“We need to transform the quality of human resource in our national research centres to boost the agriculture sector,” he said.

An official said the meeting was also attended by Syed Anwarul Hasan Bukhari, additional secretary, Rashid Mahmood, additional secretary and senior officers of the ministry.

The official said both sides agreed to hold workshops to chalk out a plan to revamp the research sector in Pakistan.

The minister told the meeting that it is pertinent to link the industry needs with the core of agricultural research in the public sector.

Imam emphasised that only “Innovative Agricultural Financing Models” can lead Pakistan’s agriculture into the future.

The FAO needs to bring agriculture research experts into Pakistan from USA, Japan, China, Australia, and Brazil, he said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021