Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) Chairman Dr Iftikhar Ahmad has stressed the need of declaring agriculture as an industry and enacting legislation on the pattern of Australia to promote mechanisation to meet the national food requirements. He was speaking at a seminar “making barren lands cultivable through mechanization”. It was attended among others by agricultural experts and agri-scientists.
The seminar was arranged by the South Asian Conservation Agriculture Network (SACAN). Dr Iftikhar further stated that there was a need to provide timely loans to small growers for purchase of agricultural machinery in order to promote mechanisation. Former Director General Agriculture (Irrigation) Mushtaq Gill speaking said that per acre yield can be increased substantially by promoting conservation techniques. He said that 4 million acres of land in Punjab can be made available for agriculture by providing facility of bulldozers to the growers.
He said this land could help produce 1.5 million tons of more wheat in the province. University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Vice Chancellor Dr Talat Naseer Pasha speaking stressed on the need for promotion of mechanisation in livestock and dairy sector for increasing exports of milk and meat products from Pakistan.
