FAISALABAD:Senior National Specialist/Mission Lead of Asian Development Bank (ADB) Ms. Noriko Sato has urged agricultural engineers to make collaborative efforts for enhanced agricultural mechanization, agricultural machinery standardization and testing for development in the country.
She visited the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) and addressed a workshop on enhanced agricultural mechanization in Punjab, jointly arranged by the ADB, UAF, Punjab Agriculture Department and CABI [Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International]. She discussed agricultural issues, mechanization, water and food security.
Noriko Sato assured of ADB full support for the noble cause and said that the UAF was having a valuable workforce and scientists to address the issue of agricultural development. She said that the joint efforts of the different institutions would pave a way to address the issue at the national level. She said that the ADB had been helping the country reduce poverty and increase resilience and pro
sperity by supporting investments in key sectors and services. The ADB operations remain aligned to Pakistan’s evolving economic and development priorities, she added.
UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that the ADB support would help make the difference in the sector. He called for joint efforts to increase per acre productivity that will ensure food security and alleviate poverty. He said, “Mechanization is pivotal and initially in mechanization, we have to focus on wheat and rice crops.” He said that high yield varieties of wheat are developed at the UAF with the cooperation of Washington State University. He said that the barrier between different agricultural institutions should be demolished to pave the way for joint efforts.
Dean Faculty of Agricultural Engineering UAF Dr Muhammad Azam Khan said that there were 500 agricultural manufacturers in the province. “We need to standardize these,” he added.
Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Sarwar Khan, Dr Habib Ullah, Dr Jafar Jaskani, Dr
Jalal Arif, Dr Abdul Ghafoor, Dr Sidra Ishfaq and other notables spoke.