Immediate steps demanded to ease water shortages

July 24, 2013

Kisan Board Pakistan (KBP) has urged the rulers to take report by a US magazine 'the Atlantic' as an eye opener which has termed the shortage of water as the biggest threat for Pakistan instead of terrorism. KBP President Sardar Zafar Hussain Khan, General Secretary Malik Muhammd Ramzan rohari, Secretary Information Haji Muhammad Ramzan and others in a joint reaction over the American magazine report said that Pakistan, according to US magazine, was among those countries, which had capacity of storing only 30 days of water.
While internationally organisations recommend having water storage of at least 100 days. KBP leaders said that India had already deprived Pakistan of its due share of river water due to ineptness of past rulers and officers of Indus water commission. They stated that recently Indian Supreme Court in its order of joining 30 rivers had further strengthened Indian water aggression against Pakistan. They said completion of this project would totally turn Pakistan in to a barren land and Pakistanis would not have even one drop of water for drinking or agriculture. They said even KBP take shortage of water and Indian water aggression as the biggest problem for Pakistan. They said that rulers in a bid to develop friendly ties with India should not ignore this harsh fact.
KBP high ups demanded that the government should declare water as a national asset and prefer taking steps for meeting the water shortage created due to Indian water aggression. They said once India succeeded in constructing all the dams it planned would deprive Pakistan from power or water forever. They said there was only one solution and that was to immediately construct more dams in Pakistan to resolve the crisis.

Source: Business Recorder

Read More

THE BANK FOR THE POOR II

By Baqir Shah, Agriculture Information Bank Contributor

While nearly 40% of the populations live on or below the poverty line, and the continuous efforts of the Government to eradicate poverty, have yet to bring results. 
Yet, it does not have control of rising prices and creations of jobs for the unemployed & low income group. Bearing this situation in mind, we have envisaged a plan for the poor to stand on their own feet, on self help basis.
Banks Function
This function will be launched through all the Labour Unions of the country, The branches of the Bank will the Labour Union Offices. All registered members of the Union will be entitled to open an account in the Bank. 
The account can be opened for low amount of Rs 60.00 p.m All the account will be deposited the Poor Mans Bank, Head office located at Karachi. The Board of Directors of Bank will be the Head of the Unions who will examine and approve collective measures to advance loans in kind  only up to the value of Rs 5000/- to avoid defaults. Cash loans will be considered for approval on the guarantee of the Head of the Union. The Bank will operate on Non Profit basis, & charge 10% service charges. 
Benefits for the Accounted
The account holder will get the following benefits.
1. Loans in Cash or Kind to start their own business, as mentioned above.
2. Classes will be arranged to educate them as skilled labor, 
3. Free Accident Policy of Rs 100000 on accidental & Rs5000 for injury on 
Duty
4. Other benefits will be arranged to assist our workers, due course.
Banks Performance
Initially we expect to get around 60,000 members to start the function of the Bank. ie 60,000 x 60 = Rs 36,00,000 per month. A hand some amount for a beginning . The amount left after its function i.e. idle will be invested in short term deposits with commercial bank and the profit added to the capital held.  The figures mentioned above are hypothetical and the final figures will appear as we go on the launch the scheme. We are confident that we will receive the Government’s Patronage & assistance in this regard. Proposal by Baqar Shah

Copyright Agriculture Information Bank

Read More

River Indus

Saturday, July 20, 2013  By:  Baqar Shah

Mouth Arabian Sea

Location Indus River Delta, Pakistan

Length 3,200 km (1,988 mi)

Basin 1,165,000 km2 (449,809 sq mi)

Discharge - average 6,600 m3/s (233,077 cu ft/s)

The Indus River provides key water resources for the economy of Pakistan - especially the Breadbasket of Punjab province, which accounts for most of the nation's agricultural production, and Sindh. The word Punjab means "water of five rivers" and the five rivers are Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej, all of which finally merge in Indus. The Indus also supports many heavy industries and provides the main supply of potable water in Pakistan.

Source: Wikipedia

-----------------------------------------------

I am constrained to bring some points to the attention of the  authorities concerned on the present condition of the Indus  The rare photo (1912-1914) shows the steam boat carrying passengers on the Indus 100 years ago. Now look at the present state of the river, it banks flooded, undrendged for the past 100 years. The Mississippi river in USA is drenched every four years, hence boats and barges move freely up and down I therefore suggest that we build Artificial Lakes along the banks to reduce flood damage and at the same time water stored will be useful during draughts periods. These Lakes can also be used to save the Marine life including the endangered species the Blind Dolphin  If we fail to action now, I fear that in some years Indus may change its course.

Copyright: agrinfobank.com

Read More

Punjab govt, Canadian firm ink MoU for biogas project

Saturday, July 20, 2013

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Punjab government and a renowned Canadian Company High Mark Bio-Gas at Chief Minister’s Office on Friday for setting up bio-gas project.
Chief Executive Officer Evan Chrapko on behalf of High Mark Biogas Company while Secretary Energy Usman Bajwa on behalf of Punjab government signed the MoU.
According to the agreement, High Mark Bio-Gas Company will set up a pilot project of 22 megawatts of biomass gas in Punjab. The project will be completed within a short period of six months.
Besides Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, Provincial Energy Minister Sher Ali Khan, Chairman Planning and Development, Secretaries of Energy, Agriculture, Information, Local Government and other concerned officials were also present on the occasion.
Sharif said signing of MoU between High Mark Bio-Gas Company and Punjab government with regard to biogas project was a welcoming step. He said vast opportunities of generating energy through bio-mass and biogas exist in Punjab and the provincial government will fully benefit from these opportunities. He said the experiences of foreign investors and companies would also be benefited in this regard so that energy crisis could be minimised at the earliest.
The chief minister said besides traditional sources, Pakistan Muslim League-N government was also working for generating energy through non-traditional sources. He said non-traditional sources are the cheap source of generating energy which would provide relief to the people.
Sharif said there was great potential of setting up bio-gas projects in Punjab and there was no shortage of fuel for the projects of biogas. He said energy crisis had made the life of common man miserable and the government was working on war footing for coping with this problem. The CM said Canadian Company will also carry out the process of mapping of waste used in biogas which will help in collecting authenticated data.
Sharif said that after the success of first pilot project, new projects of biogas would be started. Earlier, Chief Executive of Canadian High Mark Bio-Gas Company, Evan Chrapko met Shahbaz Sharif at Chief Minister’s Office. Muhammad Umar Ghaznavi was also present on the occasion.

Source: Daily Times

Read More

Chenab, Jhelum likely to attain medium to high flood levels

Saturday, July 20, 2013 By M RAFIQUE GORAYA

The Flood Forecasting Centre has cautioned that the River Chenab at Marala and River Jhelum at Mangla may attain medium to high flood level on Saturday and Sunday. Nullahs of River Ravi & Chenab may also attain medium to high flood level after 36-hours.
It said moderate to heavy thunder showers with very heavy thunder showers at one or two places is expected over the upper catchments of River Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi & Sutlej along-with Gujranwala, Rawalpindi & Lahore Divisions. Thunder showers of moderate intensity may also occur over Sargodha and Faisalabad Divisions & Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The wet spell may increase during next 48 hours.
SYNOPTIC SITUATION Seasonal low lies over Northwest Balochistan and adjoining areas with its trough extending Southeast wards. Monsoon currents are reaching into upper parts of the country. A fresh western disturbance is likely to approah upper parts f the country during next 48 hours.
WEATHER FORECAST FOR SATURDAY Wide spread thunder showers of moderate to heavy intensity with very heavy intensity at one or two places is expected over upper catchments of the river Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi & Sutlej along with Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala & Lahore divisions. Fairly wide spread thunder showers of moderate intensity is likely to occur over Sargodha, Faisalabad, Sahiwal divisions & Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Isolated thunder showers would occur over Mirpurkhas, Hyderabad, Karachi, Kalat, Naseerabad, Sibbi and Zhob divisions, whereas weather will remain hot & humid in other parts of the country in next 48 hours.
Widespread rain-thundershower (with isolated heavy falls) associated with gusty winds is expected in Kashmir, Hazara, Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sahiwal Lahore divisions and isolated places of Lower Sindh during next 24 hours. Weather remained hot & humid in most parts of the country. However, rain-thundershower occurred at a few places of Rawalpindi, Sahiwal divisions & Kashmir
HOTTEST PLACES PAST 24 HOURS Dalbandin 45°C, Nokkundi & Chillas 44°C, Sibbi, Bhakkar & Gilgit 43°C.

Source: Business Recorder

Read More

Major GM food company Monsanto 'pulls out of Europe'

By Christopher Hope, Senior Political Correspondent

Monsanto, one of the world's biggest and best known genetically modified crops companies, is effectively pulling out of Europe, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.

The news is a major blow to the nascent British GM industry which ministers have been championing this year as fears grow about food security.

Monsanto, whose name is synonymous with GM crops, confirmed that it is withdrawing all of its EU applications for approval for new crops.

The decision is understood to affect as many as 10 applications for approval for new GM crops. It is understood that Monsanto is pulling all of its applications for crops in frustration at delays over clearing existing crops at EU level.

It does not affect clearance for an existing crop grown from GM seeds in Portugal and Spain.

Monsanto currently sells only one biotech seed product in Europe — a biotech corn which is modified to be resistant to a destructive pest called the European corn borer. It accounts for less than one per cent of the corn grown in the EU.

A company source pointed to the fact that the EU has not approved a new GM crop for cultivation since 1998, adding that it "currently has suspended the progression of cultivation files towards decisions for political reasons".

The source added: "As the EU today is effectively a conventional seed market we have been progressively de-emphasising cultivation of biotech crops in Europe.

"Amongst other things, this means we are no longer seeking approval to commercialise biotech seeds in the EU. We intend to withdraw pending regulatory applications for commercial cultivation of new biotech crops in the EU."

A Monsanto spokesman told The Daily Telegraph: "Monsanto´s business in Europe is very strong and growing. In order to better serve farmers in Europe we will be investing several hundred million dollars in Europe over a decade to expand our conventional seed production and breeding.

"In parallel, biotech crops are highly successful in the rest of the world. In order to fully support both of these success stories, we will no longer be pursuing approvals for cultivation of new biotech crops in Europe.

"Instead, we will focus on enabling imports of biotech crops into the EU and the growth of our current business there."

Monsanto is planning to invest hundreds million dollars in Europe through the end of the decade including €225 million ($300 million) in corn production plant expansions that are already under way in France, Hungary,

Romania and Turkey, creating more than 150 new full-time jobs and many more seasonal jobs.

The news comes just as the Government, led by Environment secretary Owen Paterson and Science minister David Willetts, lead a major push to persuade Britons to eat more GM food.

Source: The Telegraph

Read More

Rawalpindi to have nine mini dams

Friday, 19 July 2013

In order to fulfil the needs of water for agricultural and other purposes, the Punjab government has decided to construct nine mini dams in Rawalpindi Division (Pothohar). The government has allocated Rs 9.74 billion for the project. The dams will be constructed in Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum and Chakwal and the water will be used to fulfil the water needs of the division. Meanwhile, the government also allocated Rs 250 million for different projects to save the regions of drought, while Rs 7.50 billion have been reserved for providing the farmers with tube-wells running with solar-energy and biogas.

Source: Business Recorder

Read More

Agriculture through SMS

July 18, 2013 

Agriculture is the backbone of Pakistan. Half of the population’s direct source of income is agriculture. Agriculture is facing a lot of problems nowadays, which is resulting in increase in poverty ratio every year. We have first investigated the complete lifecycle of farming and have tried to find solutions to the problem faced by the farmer throughout the lifecycle.

The communication gap between farmers and agricultural information providers is the actual problem. Taking maximum advantages of technology we therefore need to develop a platform where farmers and agricultural information providers can communicate with much more ease as compared to typical communication methods.

The most convenient system can be of proper utilisation of the medium of mobile phone through SMS. The system has the functionality of automated query response feature which is very useful for the farmers. It is so encouraging to know that the Punjab Directorate of Agricultural Information has also launched this programme.

Most of the agriculture based countries especially in South Asia region are promoting and effectively utilising SMS Agriculture Information Services to keep their farmers updated and properly advised. This service is also working effectively in other countries like Kenya, South Africa, Thailand and India.

In order to make the system effective a translation module should also be included, making it easier to translate the common terminologies into local language in day to day farming. It is therefore believed that the success of implementation and management of this system will ultimately bring a viable change not only in farming applications but also it will help in maximising the yields of our crops.

Source: Pakistan Today

Read More

Major agribusiness conference kicks off in Taipei

Wednesday, July-17-2013

The Asian Productivity Organization’s food and agribusiness conference got underway July 15 in Taipei City, further underscoring Taiwan’s growing role in global agriculture biotechnology.

Close to 100 industry participants, government officials and academics from 13 APO member countries are attending the four-day gathering, billed by the ROC Council of Agriculture as the largest major international agricultural research event hosted by Taiwan in recent years.

Other attendees include representatives from India, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as experts from the Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions.

A total of 16 international and domestic specialists have been invited to share their insights into emerging trends, experiences in strategy formulation and knowledge of agribiotech application to food production. Discussion topics include the risks and management of applying biotechnology to food production and the ecosystem, as well as fostering the application of biotechnology by small and medium producers, the COA said.

On the final day of the conference, participants will visit the Bio Taiwan 2013. Kicking off July 18 at Taipei World Trade Center Nangang Exhibition Hall in Taipei City, the biotechnology show offers an added opportunity for specialists from abroad to better understand Taiwan’s strength in this field, the COA added.

Established in 1961, Japan-based APO aims to contribute to the sustainable socioeconomic development of the Asia-Pacific through enhancing productivity. The ROC was a founding member of the organization, which has grown to include 20 countries. (SDH)

Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw

Source: Taiwan Today

Read More

Rice varieties of Irri 6, 9 washed away

The districts on right canal known as the rice belt in Sindh has suffered the most due to flood, as the rice varieties of Irri 6 and 9 have been washed away.
This was stated by the Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (Unisame) in a statement issued on Friday. It said in spite of this damage the country is in a position to export limited quantities of non basmati rice and as such Ministry should not ban export of non basmati rice. Rather it should allow export of value-added non-basmati rice in consumer packing only to encourage value addition, it added.
Thawer invited the attention of Amin Fahim to the fact that exporters have obtained export refinance against export orders and any hasty decision of the govt without consulting the SME rice processors and exporters would cause setback to rice industry and huge amounts of banks would be blocked.

Source: The Nation

Read More

PARC scientists role for agri development lauded

Saturday, July-13-2013

Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research (MNFSR) Sikandar Hayat Bosan said Friday that scientists of Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) were playing a pivotal role for the promotion and development of agriculture sector in Pakistan.

“Research results and advance knowledge should reach at farmers’ door-step in order to boost up agricultural production and to ensure food security in the country,” the federal minister remarked during a meeting with the newly promoted scientists.

He urged the scientists to acquaint the farming community about advance knowledge and introduce new varieties at their farm to achieve maximum per acre production.

The PARC promoted its seventeen (17) senior management scientists in grade 20 and 21. The promotion of the PARC scientists was pending for the last one-and-a-half year and had created fear and apprehensions among the scientists community about their promotions, said PARC press statement issued here Thursday.

Source: The Nation

News Collected by agrinfobank.com Team

Read More

Paddy plantation in full swing in Punjab

Friday, July-12-2013

The paddy plantation is in full swing in the rice growing districts of the province after recent rains in the central Punjab, Director General Punjab Agriculture Extension Services Dr Anjum Ali told Business Recorder.

He said climate was conducive, water supplies were adequate and there were positive indications that rice crop would be sown over the target area of 4.2 million acres well in time and Punjab would achieve production target of 4.3 million tons of various varieties of rice this season.

Sialkot, Narowal, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, and Hafizabad districts produce best varieties of rice including Basmati 370, Super Basmati, Super Kernal, Basmati 386, Basmati 385 and Basmati 198. Pakistan earns around two billion dollars in foreign exchange by export of rice every year.

About the impact of recent rains on other crops, Dr Ali said the timely rains had been very beneficial to the sugarcane, vegetables and fodder crops in the rain-fed Barani areas and canal irrigated Central Punjab. He further said since there had been no rains in the cotton growing belt of South Punjab, therefore cotton crop was safe from the rain-related pest / virus attacks. 

News Source: Business Recorder

News Collected by agrinfobank.com Team

Read More

A case of mediocre mangoes

Friday, July-12-2013

Climate changes have continuously taken their toll on Pakistan over the last few years – whether it’s an increase in flooding or a change in weather patterns.

As a result, mango lovers are still waiting for the arrival of this year’s full-fledged mango crop in the market, which has been delayed because of changes in weather patterns.

Stakeholders believe that Sindh would have come up with a larger mango crop had weather conditions not been erratic. An overall 20 percent drop in production is likely due to the late maturation of the fruit and hailstorms.

Early varieties of mango like Almas, Saroli and Daseri are slowly reaching the market but mango afficiniados are still anxiously waiting for the seasonal favourite ‘Sindhri’ –according to market players they will have to wait for another one week or so.

Southern winds that usually visit orchards in early March didn’t come on time, and when they finally did the fruit’s size had already been affected. Hailstorms caused damage to the crop particularly in Mirpurkhas region, which was the main path of the storm.

Sindhri, which is an exportable variety like ‘Chaunsa’, has an edge over other varieties because of its look and taste. Chaunsa has similar characteristics too but it follows Sindhri towards the end of the mango season in Sindh. Sindhri is widely used as a ‘gift’ in different circles extending from the civil bureaucracy, to the police, politicians and the ‘common man’.

“Such weather conditions are not conducive for the mango’s development. Mangoes need the summer season to have a rapid growth in all respects,” says Atta Soomro, Director General Agriculture Research. He adds that not only the flushing of trees at the wrong time also negatively impacted the fruit’s production.

Officials in the Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Board (PHDEB) say that it was due to a delay in crop’s arrival that its export began on May 25 this year, although it usually begins by May 20.

But exporters remain optimistic. According to PHDEB General Manager South Abdul Razaq Malkana, given the size of crop the PHDEB is optimistic to export around 120,000 tons of mango or so against last year’s 107,000 tons as around 400 to 500 tons alone will be exported to Korea.

He added that the production of medium sized mangoes is likely to dominate the market and such medium sized fruit is the most sought after abroad.

Pakistan’s total mango production reaches 1.7 to 1.8 million tons annually with the lion’s share coming from Punjab and 30 percent from Sindh. According to 2011-12 statistics of the Sindh Horticulture Research Institute (SHRI), Mirpurkhas is considered home to mango farming, although it takes place in Tando Allahyar and Sanghar as well.

The orchards which are mostly located in the lower Sindh region on the left bank of River Indus were badly affected during heavy monsoon rains. Since rainwater accumulated in orchards it raised the water table substantially, badly affecting the texture of land. Such changes in the soil’s texture are considered one of the reasons for the belated flowering of the plant.

According to traders – who get orchards on contracts from actual farm owners – currently varieties of Saroli and Daseri are being brought to the market. According to one such trader, Aslam, “Although the unripe Sindhri is reaching the market, it lacks taste and wholesalers use calcium carbide to ripen it.” He believes that if production of mangoes drops substantially, then price margins will increase – but in case of a large number of exports because of oversupply, prices will fall.

Inferior farming methods

Few farmers are interested in exporting to European countries, and using sophisticated procedures to take care of their orchards – most farmers outsource their farms to contractors for two to five years under an agreement. After that, it’s the contractor’s headache to look after orchards. Some estimates obtained through farmers and contractors indicate that millions are invested in this business. If a 200 acre orchard is let out for Rs100,000 per acre, then it means an amount of Rs20 million will change hands. A single contractor handles a multiple numbers of farms.

“Growers do not manage mango orchards on their own. They are not ready to wait for one year and handle the crop properly. This is the general mindset among our mango growers,” says Imdad Nizamani, a farmer from Tando Allahyar. He believes that farm owners also feel that since there are certain varieties which give fruit on a rotational basis, they’re better off outsourcing the farms to earn money. Nizamani says he will not be surprised if production drops by 25 to 30 per cent this year.

A trend, however, seems to be slowly emerging among farmers who are showing an inclination towards progressive farming and are keen to export the fruit to high-end supermarkets in Europe and other regions themselves instead of relying on conventional exporters. They are being encouraged to opt for ‘progressive’ mango farming if they want to fetch a better price for their crop. More technical methods for farming are being used as a result, such as ‘high density mango farming’ which controls the space between and height of mango trees. Perhaps a focus on such methods could help counter the fears of a declining mango crop in the long run.

Source: The Dawn

News Collected by agrinfobank.com Team

Read More

Shifting of Mingora-Swat vegetable market demanded

July 11, 2013

Vegetable merchant and wholesalers have demanded the All Pakistan Agriculture Produce Traders Federation to acquire a piece of land for shifting of Mingora-Swat vegetable market from the present location. The Itahad Union Sabzi Mandi Mingora-Swat, President Sahib Jamal said that there was dire need to shift vegetable market Mingora-Swat in a proper location, because of overcrowded population surrounding the market.
He was speaking at a meeting of Itehad Union Sabzi Mandi Mingora-Swat on Wednesday. The meeting was attended by the union senior Vice President, Haji Akbar Khan, Syed Nawab and Fazal Ghaffar, Khan Gul, Haji Khurshid, Rahmat Khan, Haji Mukhtar and other leaders of trade unions. Sahib Jamal said that the Mingora-Swat vegetable market had established in 1983, but the population was growing with passage of time. He said that vegetable dealers and shoppers are facing numerous difficulties in the present situation.

Source: Business Recorder

News Collected by agrinfobank.com Team

Read More

Agricultural sector promotes biotechnology

Wednesday, July-10-2013

National Food Security and Research Federal Minister Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan, discussed the need to promote biotechnology at the launch ceremony of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) Report-44 on the global status of commercialised biotech crops.

The minister said Pakistan is an agricultural country and 70% of its population is directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture. In order to meet the needs of the growing population, modern agricultural technologies must be used to increase crop yields.

Bosan said biotech crops can significantly increase productivity and can fuel rural economic growth that helps reduce poverty in the country. He also said that the use of biotech crops can help ensure food security. The minister said that a farmer oriented national strategy was needed to promote understanding of biotechnology amongst farmers, and develop biotechnology at the grassroots level.

“In the future, our country needs to work out plans for drought control, use nitrogen efficiently, increase nutrition value of food crops by employing modern farming methods and also develop a chain for sustainable and quality supply of food and feed in the country”, said Bosan.

According to the minister, Pakistan was amongst the first few countries to realize the potential of biotechnology in the early 1970s but over time the implementation process slowed down.

Source: The Express Tribune

News Collected by agrinfobank.com Team

Read More

Low flood in river Kabul

Wednesday, July-10-2013

The Irrigation Department Flood Forecasting Cell (FFC) reported low flood in River Kabul at Warsak and River Sindh at Khairabad in Nowshera district on Tuesday.

According to spokesman of FFC, Peshawar, low flood in River Kabul at Warsak and Nowshera was recorded this morning where total water flow remained 39,810 and 58,700 cusecs respectively.

Similarly, 240,200 cusec water has been recorded in River Sindh at Khairabad Nowshera. He said River Sindh at Khairabad is in low flood. Low flood was also reported in River Punjkora at Dir and River Swat at Charsadda Road while others rivers in KPK are flowing normal.

The spokesman urged people not to pay attention on floods rumours and contact the cell of Deputy Commissioners Offices for confirmation of flood reports.

Source: Business Recorder

News Collected by agrinfobank.com Team

Read More

Argentine envoy, IT Minister discuss cooperation in S&T

Wednesday, July-10-2013

Ambassador of Argentine to Pakistan Rodolfo J. Martin Saravia called on Federal Minister for Science and Technology Zahid Hamid here on Tuesday and discussed new avenues of cooperation in the field of science and technology, health and agriculture sector.

Both the sides agreed on the proposal that a joint workshop in the field of biotechnology and material science would be held for future collaboration.

The Ambassador assured that his government would fully support and facilitate the Pakistani scientists in their participation in international conference on expedition of Southern Antarctica.

Both the sides agreed that a Pak-Argentine joint workshop on estuarine and coastal studies would be held for further collaboration in the filed of oceanography.

The minister thanked the Ambassador for the assistance in the field of science and technology, health and agricultural sectors in Pakistan.

He said that government to government contacts would be increased to strengthen relations between the two countries.

He said that the present democratic government was business friendly and would facilitate and protect the interest of foreign investors in Pakistan, which would be fruitful for boosting up economic activities and projecting a soft image of the country.

Federal Secretary for Science and Technology Akhlaq Ahmad Tarar was also present in the meeting.

Source: Pakistan Observer

News Collected by agrinfobank.com Team

Read More

Water, energy issues of concern for Pakistan

Wednesday, July-10-2013

Food security, water, energy and climate change issues are the main areas of concerns, which need to be addressed with collaborated efforts, said USAID Pakistan Director Jo Lesser.

Addressing a meeting of the Centre for Advanced Studies held at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad videoconference room on Tuesday, she said that the USAID was setting up three centres for advanced studies, including the Food Security Centre at the UAF, the Centre on Energy at the NUST and the Centre on Water at the UET, Jamshoro. She said the US was committed to uplift the country and the projects were aimed at addressing the issues at the national level.

Speaking on occasion, UAF Vice-Chancellor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that four chairs would be set up under the Food Security/Agriculture Centre at the UAF, including Climate Changes Chair, Biodiversity Chair, Agriculture Policy Chair and Precision Agriculture Chair.

Higher Education Commission Executive Director Dr Mukhtar Ahmad said that the setting up of the centres was a hallmark step, which would help the country fight water, food security and climate change challenges. He called for collaborated efforts to tackle the issues in the shape of quality researches and producing trained manpower.

Prof Dr Iqbal called for using the alternative methods of energy to meet the demand of electricity. The methods, included bio-energy and solar energy, he added. Dr Qamaruzzaman said that the precision agriculture must be promoted in the country to increase the per acre production with the usage of satellite system. Water Research Centre Management Director Dr Allah Bakhsh stressed the need of enhancing water productivity by using feasible efficient irrigation techniques.

Dr Ashfaq Ahmad Chattha said that climate change chair would focus on ensuring food security by adapting and mitigating climate change through research, capacity building and creating awareness among stakeholders. UET Peshawar Vice-Chancellor Dr Imtiaz Hussain Gilani and others also spoke on the occasion.

Source: The News

News Collected by agrinfobank.com Team

Read More

Early recovery of Gomal Zam Dam employees demanded

July 09, 2013

The family members and relatives of abducted employees of Gomal Zam Dam held a protest demonstration here outside Peshawar Press club on Monday. They demanded of the government to take immediate steps for safe recovery of their love one. The protesters were included children, and women who were holding placards and banners inscribed slogans against the government and in favour of their demands. Talking to media persons on the occasion, they expressed dissatisfaction over the government efforts for recovery the abducted employees from capacity of Talibans. The militants also released video footages showing the employees pleading the government to accept the demands of the kidnappers. The kidnapped men include Engineer Shahid Ali Khan, mechanical supervisor Sanaullah, cook Munir Khan, driver Siraj, sanitation staffer Liaquat Khan, and three daily wagers Zeeshan, Zujaj and Siraj.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2013

News Collected by agrinfobank.com

Read More

Livestock sector demands further improvement

July 06, 2013

Special Assistant to Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Muhammad Arshad Jatt at a consultative meeting with University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Talat Naseer Pasha discussed various steps to further improve the livestock sector of the province and resolved to work together for the socio-economic development of the country.
The meeting also mulled over short and long-term strategies with a focus on Punjab government's prophylactic measures against deadly diseases like foot and mouth disease, HS, PPR in sheep and goats, etc. Both the Special Assistant to the CM and the Vice-Chancellor agreed to work on a proposal to produce large-scale vaccines in the country through private sector investment to ensure 100 per cent vaccination of livestock against deadly diseases.
The other areas came under discussion included breed improvement, use of molecular techniques for selection of progeny-tested bulls to increase productivity of local breeds and capacity building of field veterinarians through training and transfer of technology to these professionals for the benefit of farming community. Arshad Jatt desired that the university should establish a biogas resource centre and model bio-gas tube wells and energy generation units on Ravi Campus Pattoki. He assured the Vice-Chancellor that the Punjab government will fully support the development needs of the UVAS.
He also appreciated the role of the university in producing professionals, conducting need-based field-oriented research and providing extension services for the socio-economic development of the country. The Vice-Chancellor assured the CM's special assistant that the UVAS will fully assist the initiatives of the Livestock and Dairy Development Department and the government of the Punjab for the development of the livestock and allied sectors of the country.
Speaking about the importance of livestock sector, Arshad Jatt said that livestock sector plays a major role in rural economy and over all the socio-economic development of the country. He said that this sector is highly important in supplementing family income and generating employment opportunities in rural areas especially among the landless labourers, small and marginal farmers and women, so the need is to fully exploit the potential of this sector for the benefit of farming community, consequently contributing to the national development. Later, Arshad Jatt visited various laboratories and departments of the university.

Source: http://www.brecorder.com

Read More

New fishing season begins amid fears of rough sea

July 04, 2013

New fishing season-2013-14 on Wednesday began in the province prematurely, amid fears over the unabated hunting hits the marine life. The Fishermen Co-operative Society (FCS) organised a fishermen gathering at Karachi Fish Harbour to celebrate the opening of fishing season after offering fateha, collectively. The FCS directors along with fishermen and boat owners participated at the ceremony.
Officials of Karachi Fish Harbour Authority (KFHA) told Business Recorder that "The KFHA has started issuance of crew cards to deep-sea voyaging fishermen". They said the fishermen also now likely to turn up to the KFHA for receiving their crew cards from Thursday (today).
Normally, the annual ban on fishing stays for two months including June and July, the FCS said, adding that the Chief Minister Sindh ended the restriction on the request of society chairman Abdul Saeed Khan Baloch and its directors keeping in view the fishermen's financial problems. However, there are fears of rough sea in July may scale back the fishermen's deep-sea hunting, besides the over-fishing poses a serious threats to marine life within the country's seawaters.
The government through a notification on Tuesday announced to end annual fishing ban to let the fishermen resume their hunting in the country's maritime limits and beyond. The fishing season now began in July for the first time in history, according to fishermen, instead of August. The fisheries sources said the ban lift is largely politically motivated.
"It is actually a ban season hunting which the government has allowed but is illegal as per the ordinance," sources said, adding the sea needs at least two months fishing halt every year. The hostile sea condition with huge waves and gusty winds will be a test for the fishermen wanting to sail off the coast to hunt, sources said, adding there area fears the rough sea may hit fishing vessels as such incidents had happened in the past.
"Sindh Fisheries Dept vide Notification No 5(4) DS (Fish)/L&F/2012 dated 2 July 2013 withdrawn ban imposed on shrimps with effect from 1 to 31 July 2013," officials cited the government's notification. According to Marine Fisheries Department, the ban is aimed to ensure smooth breeding of shrimp and fresh water fish species, which is believed to take place during June and July every year, in seawaters and rivers. The ban started to restrict all voyagers from June 1 as Karachi Fish Harbour Authority (KFHA) to ensure the ban to remain till July 31. However, officials now said the fishing vessels will be allowed to go deep sea.

Source: http://www.brecorder.com

Read More

Strip-till systems can benefit corn

Justin Davey

Tillage practices are varied for farms today, depending on the farmer's vision for the land, but strip-till systems can benefit corn by combining many of the best aspects of no-till and conventional tillage systems, according to a report from DuPont Pioneer. The advantages of strip-till are generally most pronounced for corn following corn, where strip-till can help improve seedbed uniformity and reduce plant-to-plant variability compared to no-till.

"Strip tillage encourages more favorable soil temperature, moisture and aeration conditions for germinating seeds and seedling plants," says Pioneer's Jerry Harrington. "This can translate to improved crop establishment and early season performance. Strip-till also offers the opportunity to place fertilizers directly into the root zone, away from crop residues that could otherwise intercept or immobilize nutrients," he says.

The report continues to assert that strip-till provides benefits over conventional tillage practices in the areas of conservation and efficiency. "By leaving the interrow untilled, crop residues are retained on the soil surface providing increased erosion resistance and organic inputs," it says. Strip-till can also reduce field passes and input costs compared to conventional tillage.

Tips for successful strip-till

It's important to consider field selection, tillage timing, and strip placement when implementing strip till into your operation. According to the report, "Guidance systems and strip-till units with parallel linkage help ensure accurate seed placement and consistent depth control. It may take a season or two to become skilled at staying on the strips—so give it time and stick with it.

Source: http://www.agriculture.com

Read More

Sun-flower, corn and soyabean modern varieties for Farmer

July 03, 2013

Federal Minister for Food Security and Research Alhaj Sikandar Hayat Bosan has said that Pakistan is self-sufficient in food, cotton, sugar, however we have to spend precious foreign exchange of billions of rupees on the import of edible oil. We should evolve modern varieties of edible seeds of sun-flower, corn, soyabean, Jojoba, rapeseed, Cassamba etc to save Rs 200 billion.
Bosan said that research-based technical knowledge related to agriculture and agricultural technologies must reach to the farmers at their doorstep and it should not be kept in shelves to meet the challenges of food autarky. Talking to newsmen here on Tuesday he said that mostly technical and scientific knowledge remained in shelves that should be reached at farmers doors step to help increase their crop production and thus improve their livelihoods. Bosan said that researchers/scientists should identify sustainable agricultural technologies and effectively translating for transfer to end-users. He stressed the need for developing a mechanism for accessible information for extension workers and farmers. Collective efforts and wisdom needed to achieve self-sufficiency in agriculture sector and to ensure food security in the country.
Federal Minister appreciated the role of international agencies, especially FAO, USDA, CIMMYT, ICARDA, ICIMOD and other donors for holding such events in Pakistan to share technical and scientific knowledge and experience by experts and financial support for development of agriculture sector in the country. He urged upon the progressive farmers, researchers and agricultural scientists to reduce the knowledge gap between researchers and enhancing the capacity of the extension workers; during the process, it will identify the most compelling findings from researchers' work, prepare a package, and then present and disseminate these findings in the form that would be accessible and understandable to farmers.

Source: http://www.brecorder.com

Read More

Promoting environmental-friendly agriculture practices

July 03, 2013

Speakers at an international seminar called for promoting latest environmental-friendly agriculture practices like Precision Agriculture (PA) to increase agricultural productivity and to reduce the cost of agricultural production in a bid to ensure food security.
The international seminar titled Technology, Energy and Natural Resources was arranged by Department of Environmental Sciences, GC University Faisalabad that was presided over by Acting Vice Chancellor and Dean Faculty of Science and Technology Professor Dr Naureen Aziz Qureshi. The other speakers include Dr Qamar Zaman and Dr Tri Ngyuen Quang from Dalhousie University Canada, and Department Chairman Dr Farhat Abbas. Dr Schumann from University of Florida also addressed on video conference recorded talk.
Addressing on the occasion, Professor Dr Naureen Aziz said it was prerequisite to make efficient use of natural resources keeping in view the modern trend at par with the international standards by adopting latest techniques. She said glaciers were melting drastically due to climate changes and after 50 years, the country would be left with the few glaciers if the dilemma continued. "Keeping in view, we have to shift to drip irrigation from flood irrigation to save the water for the coming generation," she added. She said level of water use efficiency in Pakistan was only 40 percent while per capita water availability was only 1,000 cubic meter.

Source: http://www.brecorder.com

Read More