FAISALABAD:University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) Vice Chancellor (VC) Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that decreasing soil fertility was causing zinc and iron deficiency in the people at a large extent, therefore, immediately steps were need of the hour to address this issue at national level.
He was talking to a delegation of the Officers of Foreign Service of Pakistan (FSA) who visited UAF and met its Vice Chancellor under leadership of FSA Director Program Madam Fozia Fiaz.
Talking about urbanization, Dr Iqrar Ahmad said that conversion of fertile agricultural land into residential colonies had become a matter of grave concern for the country for which ‘we have to take initiative to ensure food security for ever increasing population’.
He also highlighted profitability ratio in agriculture sector and said that the farmers’ son did not want to become farmer due to low profit. The progressive farmers were however getting 60 to 80 maunds wheat per acre whereas the average yield in the country was 30 maunds per acre.
He said that technology was available in the country but due to lack of awareness or affordability issue, the farmers were reluctant to adopt modern agricultural trends.
Talking about green revolution, he said that looking back, the green revolution of 1960s was catalyzed by introduction of a new seed of wheat called MaxiPak, which was fertilizer responsive.
The yields went up manifolds, necessitating mechanization. “Ever since then, we had continued to reinvent the same recipe.” The time had changed with the arrival of GM crops, precision technologies, value addition and better trade and marketing options, he added.
Talking about soybean, he said that the country imported soybean for animal feed. He said that the country had huge potential to boost soybean productivity with modern tech.
He said that the UAF had set up 100 demonstration fields of the UAF newly developed high yielding soybean varieties at farmer’s farms that would be raised to 1000 next year in collaboration with the provincial and federal government.
All possible measures were being taken to address the agricultural issue on the part of the university, he added.