Dr. Kauser Abdulla Malik Highlights Importance of Strong Bond Between Agricultural Research and Farmers

Islamabad: (Dte. PR&P, PARC) Dr.Kauser Abdulla Malik, Federal Minister for National Food Security & Research (MNFSR) and President, Board of Governors of Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), chaired the 47th Meeting of the Board at the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) Islamabad. Official board members, including the Federal Secretary of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research and officials from the Ministry of Finance and Planning and Reforms, participated in the meeting. In addition, provincial members also participated in the meeting. In his address, Dr. Kauser Abdulla Malik extended a warm welcome to all members of the PARC Board and commended the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council for its endeavours in modernizing the country’s agriculture sector. Dr. Kauser also provided guidance to the PARC team, emphasizing the importance of maintaining their current level of dedication while simultaneously strengthening their involvement and interaction with the farming and scientific community.

Chairman PARC, Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali, delivered a thorough overview to the Board concerning recent initiatives in agricultural research and the achievements made in addressing administrative challenges, as well as resolving longstanding financial liabilities pending since 2013. During the briefing to the board, Dr. Ali highlighted that the majority of the long-pending administrative and financial issues of the council have been resolved. Additionally, for the first time in the history of PARC, a dedicated research budget has been allocated for conducting agricultural research in high-tech areas. He also provided the Board with updates on newly initiated programs aimed at aligning research with modern scientific paradigms, these programs include genomics-based improvement of livestock breeds, smart agriculture practices, the application of CAD and CNC technologies in agricultural machinery design, and the certification of organic agriculture practices.
The Board meeting drew to a close with the President of the Board extending heartfelt thanks to all attendees for their active participation, valuable contributions, and commitment to the shared goals of advancing agricultural research and development.