ISLAMABAD: (Parliament Times) 10th Meeting of Inter Provincial Research Coordination Committee (IPARCC) held at PARC Head Quarters, Islamabad under the convener-ship of Dr. Yusuf Zafar, Chairman PARC. Provincial Partners of Agricultural Research / Livestock, Planners and Vice Chancellors of Agriculture Universities also participated in the meeting.
Dr. Muhammad Shakeel, Director (Coordination), PARC briefly described that the main objective of the August forum is to have greater research coordinating among the Federal & Provincial research partners and academic institutions to avoid duplication, overlapping and to develop a concrete agenda of agriculture research at national level.Dr. Yusuf Zafar, Chairman, PARC apprised the house that PARC has a broad mandate to coordinate research among Federal, Provincial and higher education agencies on one side and with international agencies (CGIAR) on another. PARC operates 12 satellite institutes across the country. PARC being a Federal research organization have to perform the role of an effective coordinator and facilitator and have to take lead role in certain agricultural Research & Development areas in post devolution scenario. Chairman, PARC also apprised the house regarding new initiatives in agriculture and described that present government has established several task force(s) on Agriculture and includes PARC in the composition. The purpose and the mandate of formation of task force(s) namely “Technology Driven Knowledge Economy” & “Agriculture Emergency” is that these Task Forces have been to identify legislative, regulatory and policy challenges to promote agriculture, economic development, job growth, infrastructure improvements, technological innovation, energy security and quality of life in rural area of Pakistan.
The forum at length discussed that National Food Policy, Promotion & maximization of Pulses, Promotion of production deficit crops (tomato, onion and oilseed) and agriculture coordinated program. The government emphasized that government should take up fast steps for making legislation in agriculture sector and appointed the authority under whom its activities will be regulated. The forum expressed satisfaction over the steps so far taken by the present government for the revival of agriculture sector and appreciated the role of PARC for effective coordination with the provinces for Research & Development in agriculture sector in Pakistan.
