STAFF REPORT ISB: The world is facing interrelated challenges of food security, loss of agricultural biodiversity and climate change due to which over one billion people are suffering from continual hunger and malnutrition.

“At the same time world population continued to grow and climate change was causing new stress on agriculture,” said PARC Chairman Dr Iftikhar Ahmad at a day-long workshop on ITPGRFA at the NARC.

He said plant genetic resources were vital constituents which were available to breeders for the development of new crop varieties that was producing higher yields and were able to resist new diseases and extreme weather conditions.

For this, it is crucial to conserve the existing crop diversity and to allow agricultural researchers, breeders and farmers access to it.

Dr Shahid Masood member (Plant Sciences) and focal person PARC, said ITPGRFA was a comprehensive treaty whose objectives were the conservation and sustainable use of PGRFA and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits derived from their use.

Dr Azeem, Director General NARC, said that plant germplasm was a vital resource, which was serving as a base for developing new crop varieties with higher yield potential and which have resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses.

Dr Mustafa Sajid, Director PGRI NARC, highlighted the importance of this workshop. Dr Tarar Director ARI Sariab-Quetta, Ishaq, Sardar Irfan Mahmood, Sardar-uddin Siddique also exchanged their views and gave their detailed presentation on the occasion.

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