ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) and the World Food Programme (WFP) on Saturday reiterated their resolve for working together and strengthening bilateral cooperation to promote agriculture and livestock sectors in desert areas of the country.
Consensus to this effect was shown in a meeting of WFP and PARC Arid Zone Research Institute Umerkot, Sindh, said a press release.
A delegation of WFP led by Senior Programme Policy Officer Manuela Reinfeld visited PARC-AZRI and discussed areas of mutual collaboration in order to promote the agriculture sector in desert areas for food safety and security of people living in these areas.
PARC-SARC Director General (DG) Dr Attaullah Khan along with other high officials were also present in the meeting and apprised the delegation about the search activities conducted in the institute.
While briefing about the ongoing activities and future prospects of a PARC substation, Dr Attaullah Khan told the WFP delegation that PARC AZRI Umerkot was working on the reclamation of desert areas.
He said that PARC, in collaboration with the international development partners and donner agencies, are replicating successful agriculture and livestock models to eliminate drought and turning the barren deserts into grasslands.
“These models help create livelihood opportunities to the communities living in these areas, besides providing them food for daily consumption,” he added.
The delegation also reviewed the research and development activities carried out by the research institute and its impact on local communities and took interest in models being developed for fish farming, kitchen gardening, advanced Irrigation and a biogas plant.
