Farmers’ Convention at PARD to help promote scientific farming in the country

PESHAWAR, April 26: The farmers’ convention will help in the promotion of scientific farming in the country. New scientific research and application of modern technologies in agriculture sector are behind the success of developed economies.
Pakistan Academy For Rural Development Peshawar is striving hard to create awareness among the farmers’ community in the country regarding modern agro research and scientific techniques through interaction with agro scientists and experts and sharing of experiences with other farmers who have come from every nook and corner of the country. These views were expressed by Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Iqbal Zafar Jhagra while inaugurating the 7th Farmers Convention here at Pakistan Academy for Rural Development, Peshawar today. Director General of the Academy Nighat Mehroz delivered the welcome speech on the occasion.
The convention will continue for three days till 28th of this month in which more than 150 both male and female farmers from the four provinces, Giligit Baltistan, Kashmir and FATA are participating.
The Governor said that Agriculture sector contributed upto 21 percent to Pakistan’s GDP and about 45 percent of the people were being benefitted from the sector which makes it as the epicenter of all our socio-economic activities adding that unfortunately, we have been lagging behind the other countries in per acre yield.”
Director General Nighat Mehroz while highlighting the role of Academy said that the institution is conglomerate of Provincial Services Academy, National Institute of Management and Pakistan Academy for Rural Development. The institute has conducted 1350 training courses of officers from provincial and Federal Services have trained about 35000 officers. In addition to it, PARD organizes annual Farmers conventions for the promotion of awareness among framers in the use of modern agricultural techniques.
Speeches were also delivered by farmers from Punjab, KP, Baluchistan and Kashmir. They demanded of the Federal Government to give them water policy in every province, announce crop insurance policy and extend interest free micro credit to the small farmers. They also demanded both the provincial and federal government to organize training for small farmers at district level so that maximum number of farmers could be benefitted from modern agricultural techniques.-PR