By Our Correspondent
LAHORE: The future of agriculture is linked to enhanced production of cotton, wheat, and high-value agriculture, particularly oilseed crops, vegetables, and fruits. Agricultural scientists should focus on developing new climate-resilient varieties that can boost yields and help reduce the national import bill. These remarks were made by Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Punjab Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani while chairing the 51st meeting of the Punjab Agricultural Research Board (PARB) at Agriculture House, Lahore.
The meeting was attended by Members of Provincial Assembly Rana Saleem, Zakia Khan, Secretary Agriculture Punjab Iftikhar Ali Sahoo, and Secretary Livestock Punjab Ahmad Aziz Tarar.
On this occasion, Chief Executive of PARB Dr. Abid Mehmood briefed the Provincial Minister about the organization’s major achievements, activities, and the agenda of the meeting.
During the session, the Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Punjab approved the appointment of new executive members of PARB, including Executive Member for Admin & Finance, Monitoring & Evaluation, and Coordination. Additionally, the revised salary structure and a new proposed package for PARB members and staff were also approved.
While addressing the gathering, Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani said that the Punjab Agricultural Research Board plays a vital role in bringing agricultural research to practical implementation. The Government of Punjab is taking steps to promote agriculture based on scientific principles. He added that the inclusion of new members will enhance the performance of the board. The minister emphasized to make agricultural research result-oriented and beneficial for farmers directly.
On this occasion, Secretary Agriculture Punjab Iftikhar Ali Sahoo stated that the objective of PARB is to promote agricultural research. The board’s infrastructure has been upgraded to align with modern requirements. Key positions in PARB have been filled to enhance the organization’s capacity for agricultural research.
The meeting was also attended by Director General Agricultural Information Punjab, Naveed Asmat Kahloon, representatives from the Planning & Development Board, Finance, Forestry and Wildlife departments, heads of farmers’ organizations including Khalid Khokhar, and other stakeholders.
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