A.Rafay
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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is achieving self-sufficiency in agriculture production by the hard work of scientists, policymakers and farming community.
Abdul Basit Khan Additional Secretary Federal Ministry of National Food Security and Research at a gathering of policymakers, donors, researchers/scientists and other stakeholders said government designed National Zero Hunger Programme and such policies which would provide equal opportunities to all major stakeholders of the country to ensure national food security.
The agricultural sector in Pakistan plays a vital role in the nations food security and it employs half the countrys labour force. Population in Pakistan is expected to nearly double by 2050. In order to feed the growing population and address other pressing challenges, such as adaptation to climate change and rising and volatile food prices, it is crucial agricultural productivity is increased.
Agricultural research and development (R&D) has been a major contributor to agricultural productivity and poverty reduction around the globe over the past five decades. Despite the well-documented evidence that the payoffs to agricultural R&D are considerable, Pakistan continues to under-invest in agricultural research.
Recent data reveal public agricultural R&D spending in Pakistan has been far from stable and insufficient to keep pace with agricultural growth. The latest data from 2009 indicates that for every $100 of agricultural output, Pakistan invested just $0.21 in agricultural R&D.
This is one of the lowest levels in the developing world and a considerable decline from levels recorded in the 1990s.
In comparison, Indias agricultural R&D investments as a share of agricultural output were almost twice those of Pakistan, said Dr Muhammad Sharif member Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC).
Pakistan is not only facing financial challenges when it comes to agricultural R&D. In terms of human capacity it also fares significantly worse than other countries in the region.
The countrys share of agricultural researchers with PhD degrees remains very low at only 18 percent. More worryingly, most of these PhD-qualified scientists are in their fifties, making the training and mentoring of newly recruited scientists will therefore be a major priority in the coming years said Sharif. A key challenge facing Pakistan will be to ensure resources and capacities are more evenly distributed, both from the central government to the provinces and among the provinces themselves.
This period of change has offered opportunities to review existing institutional structures and reassess Pakistans research priorities. Prof Jock Anderson consultant International Food Policy Research Institutes (IFPRI) presented an independent evaluation of PARC.
Dr Iftikhar Ahmad Chairman PARC highlighted the seminar objectives. PARC and IFPRI Washington DC organised the event on Trends in Public Agricultural Research and Development Investment and Staffing in Pakistan to share findings on investment in agricultural R&D in Pakistan.
PARC has 12 satellite institutes and oversees a number of federal and provincial government research agencies located in various parts of the country engaged for countrys agricultural R&D activities. Besides there are also 19 other federal government agencies conduct agriculture-related R&D under various government ministries.
Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan
Abdul Basit Khan Additional Secretary Federal Ministry of National Food Security and Research at a gathering of policymakers, donors, researchers/scientists and other stakeholders said government designed National Zero Hunger Programme and such policies which would provide equal opportunities to all major stakeholders of the country to ensure national food security.
The agricultural sector in Pakistan plays a vital role in the nations food security and it employs half the countrys labour force. Population in Pakistan is expected to nearly double by 2050. In order to feed the growing population and address other pressing challenges, such as adaptation to climate change and rising and volatile food prices, it is crucial agricultural productivity is increased.
Agricultural research and development (R&D) has been a major contributor to agricultural productivity and poverty reduction around the globe over the past five decades. Despite the well-documented evidence that the payoffs to agricultural R&D are considerable, Pakistan continues to under-invest in agricultural research.
Recent data reveal public agricultural R&D spending in Pakistan has been far from stable and insufficient to keep pace with agricultural growth. The latest data from 2009 indicates that for every $100 of agricultural output, Pakistan invested just $0.21 in agricultural R&D.
This is one of the lowest levels in the developing world and a considerable decline from levels recorded in the 1990s.
In comparison, Indias agricultural R&D investments as a share of agricultural output were almost twice those of Pakistan, said Dr Muhammad Sharif member Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC).
Pakistan is not only facing financial challenges when it comes to agricultural R&D. In terms of human capacity it also fares significantly worse than other countries in the region.
The countrys share of agricultural researchers with PhD degrees remains very low at only 18 percent. More worryingly, most of these PhD-qualified scientists are in their fifties, making the training and mentoring of newly recruited scientists will therefore be a major priority in the coming years said Sharif. A key challenge facing Pakistan will be to ensure resources and capacities are more evenly distributed, both from the central government to the provinces and among the provinces themselves.
This period of change has offered opportunities to review existing institutional structures and reassess Pakistans research priorities. Prof Jock Anderson consultant International Food Policy Research Institutes (IFPRI) presented an independent evaluation of PARC.
Dr Iftikhar Ahmad Chairman PARC highlighted the seminar objectives. PARC and IFPRI Washington DC organised the event on Trends in Public Agricultural Research and Development Investment and Staffing in Pakistan to share findings on investment in agricultural R&D in Pakistan.
PARC has 12 satellite institutes and oversees a number of federal and provincial government research agencies located in various parts of the country engaged for countrys agricultural R&D activities. Besides there are also 19 other federal government agencies conduct agriculture-related R&D under various government ministries.
Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan
