The Senate Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research Saturday urged high-ups of National Agricultural Research Center (NARC) to focus on commercialization so that farmers can benefit from its research activities.

The committee headed by its Chairman Syed Muzafar Hussain Shad visited different research units of National Agriculture Research Council (NARC).

During the visit, senior officials of NARC briefed the committee about research activities regarding seed, vegetable, fish processing and dairy unit.

They informed the committee that Planning Commission has set target for increasing production of different crops up to five percent with the help of quality seeds in the next three years. The officials further told the parliamentarians that due to use of modern technologies and research activities, significant increase has been witnessed in the production of different crops.

They further told the committee that NARC is launching a mobile application for making the farmers aware of research activities and quality seeds.

Senator Muzaffar Hussain Shah said that following the 18th Amendment, agriculture has become a provincial subject but unfortunately the provincial governments did not take necessary steps for the betterment of agriculture sector.

He said that there is poor coordination between the federal and provincial research institutes, which is not benefiting the farmers. "Farmers should be informed about new technology through media campaign," he said, adding that use of new technology would not only decrease cost of production but would also increase total production of different crops.

He said that due to heat wave last year, cotton production witnessed a decline in the country. The government needs to take necessary steps for increase in cotton production as farmers are shifting to other crops, he said.

Sartaj Aziz, former advisor on finance, told the committee that he has prepared a report and proposed some recommendations for betterment of agriculture.