LAHORE: The fruits of agri-research projects should be reached to the people and cultivator. Agri based projects should be devised according to the demands of the market so that people could get agri products on cheap rates.
These views were expressed by Provincial Minister for Agriculture Syed Hussain Jahanian Gerdezi, while presiding over 45th meeting of Punjab Agricultural Research Board PARB on Thursday. Chief Executive PARB Dr Abid Mahmood presented 22 agri-research projects for approval including hybrid tomato, hybrid rice, tunnel cultivation of cucumber, water melon and different kinds of kiwi.
The Minister Agriculture said that there is need to revive that golden period of agriculture research in 1960s which our country achieved with the help of international collaboration. He directed the technical committee to consider the experience of agri scientists before finalizing their names for the projects. He said that PARB should utilize all their capabilities to increase in national produce and for better output. There is need to implement agri projects on commercial basis so the demand of people could be fulfilled and prices would be stabilized.
He directed to include the report and working procedure of executive committee in the next board meeting. The purpose of research should not be (research for research) but to increase the profit of cultivators, Syed Hussain Jahanian Gerdezi added.
Board members, MPA Shahida Ahmad, AS Agriculture (Admin) Ejaz Munir, progressive farmers Rabia Sultan, Javed Saleem Qureshi and President Kisan Itehad Khalid Khokhar were also present in the meeting.