FAISALABAD: Provincial Minister for Agriculture Syed Hussain Jahania Gardezi has said it is imperative to strengthen industry-academia ties and promote modern agricultural technology for which agricultural scientists will have to make every effort to solve the problems of farmers.

He inaugurated Engro Learning Center at University of Agriculture Faisalabad. He said that that wheat production in Punjab has increased 1.5 mounds per acre this year and hoped that it will go by 3 mounds by next year.

He said that 22,000 students of the UAF participated in the Punjab Government’s wheat campaign which not only help promote modern farming methods but also enable the students to get acquainted with the real problems of the farmers.

He lamented that 30 per cent farmers were able to avail the facility of certified seed whereas all resources are being provided to bring it up to 50 per cent soon. He said that 10 to 20 percent of commodities are wasted during harvesting.

The modern machineries are being promoted to overcome the issue. He said that the government was taking revolutionary steps to make agriculture profitable, food security and increase production per acre to alleviate poverty at the grassroots level as well as open new avenues of economic growth.

He said that the government was taking all possible measures to make agriculture profitable, ensure food security and increase per acre production that will help alleviate poverty and open up the new avenues for economic growth.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021