Agri scientists urged to make innovation in their research.

FAISALABAD -- Punjab Agriculture Secretary Iftikhar Ali Sahoo has urged the agri scientists to make innovation in their research and align it with international requirements to overcome ill-impacts of rapidly changing climatic conditions.

Addressing a high-level meeting of agriculture scientists at Ayub Agricultural Research Institute (AARI) here on Sunday, he said that the scientists should introduce new crop varieties and provide it to the growers so that these could play a pivotal role in catering to food requirements of burgeoning population by overcoming food security issues.

He emphasized on introduction of new varieties of ginger, olive, papaya, grapes, dates, stevia and other fruits and vegetables and said that their demanding was increasing rapidly in the markets. The scientists should also introduce use of hi-tech technology for cultivation and harvest of high value crops so that the dream of self-reliance in food production could be materialized, he added.

He stressed the need of involvement of representatives from public and private sectors in research and development board and asked the heads of agricultural research institutes to send their cases to the Chief Minister Secretariat on priority basis for approval of 15-member Research and Development Board.

He said that provincial government had planned to start revolving fund which would help to fulfill monetary needs of research institutions in time. Therefore, sufficient amount would be allocated for this fund in the coming budget, he added.

He also stressed the need of capacity building program to resolve problems of the farmers and increase their per acre production which was...