Islamabad: Parliamentary Committee on CPEC headed by Sher Ali Arbab (MNA)/ Chairman Committee visited National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) this Wednesday. Secretary MNFS&R, Ghufran Memon, Chairman PARC Dr. Muhammad Azeem Khan alongwith DG NARC Engr. Shamimul Sibtain Shah welcomed the members of the Committee.
The purpose of this meeting was to make agriculture sector an important part of CPEC and find possible Pak-China agricultural cooperation and technical assistance through PARC interventions. PARC National Agriculture Research Centre is the largest research center of PARC. The delegacy was briefed about various agri. research & development activities carried out by the institutes working under NARC. A display exhibition of PARC research products and technologies was also arranged for the said delegation. Chairman Committee on CPEC Sher Ali Arbab (MNA) chaired the meeting while Dr. Azeem Khan presented a comprehensive report about PARC and other projects related to agriculture sector.
On the occasion, Dr. Muhammad Azeem Khan identified the Joint Working Groups, agricultural commodities in different Agro-ecologies along CPEC routes and Modern Pakistan Cotton Farm Project by CMEC China. He further added solutions for cotton crises through improved agricultural technologies which is possible by the development of water saving cotton farms and expanding its planting area.
While sharing 10 years development targets under CPEC Chairman PARC told our aim is to change Pakistan from cotton import country to cotton export country and save foreign exchange of 1.5 billion USD. Besides renovation of existing orchards, introduction of new varieties, reduce post-harvest losses, improve value chain and development of rural industries are our major proposed interventions.
Sher Ali Arbab, Chairman, Parliamentary Committee on CPEC, after the briefing, emphasized that we must first address the existing agricultural infrastructure in Pakistan and its shortcomings so that in the light of modern agricultural knowledge and experience comprehensive and sustainable strategies can be formulated and solutions to the shortcomings in agriculture can be found on a modern scientific basis.