Press Release: Chairman Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), Dr. Iftikhar Ahmad Monday sought help from academia and college and school students to materialize the concept of urban agriculture, initially in the capital city Islamabad.
“Pakistans progress and prosperity is linked with agriculture, so as much as we promote this sector it would help boost overall economy of the country,” Dr. Iftikhar said while addressing at the prize distribution ceremony of Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) Girls College Islamabad Monday.
Besides promoting the rural agriculture, there is need that we also work for urban agriculture to help cties produce vegetable and fruits to cater to their own consumption demands.
He said that PARC has already started Kitchen Gardening Club campaign through which citizens of the capital city are trained to grow their own fruits and vegetables and help themselves with fresh and nutritious edibles.
Dr. Iftikhar stressed the need for promoting overall agriculture sector, saying that about 70 percent population of the country was directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture sector, so if this sector progresses, it would have positive impact on economy.
“A rupee spent on agriculture sector is more effective in developing economy than spending it on any other sector,” Dr. Iftikhar remarked.
He said that agriculture, which has 21 percent share in GDP of economy and shares major exports from the country, needs proper attention adding that this sector if developed could prove best solution of for poverty alleviation.
Speaking on the occasion, Managing Director, OPF Habib-ur-Rehman Khan lauded the efforts of PARC for launching olive tree plantation in the college campus, saying that it would help promote healthy environment besides encouraging students and teacher to plant fruit trees, not only in schools but at their homes as well. He congratulated the college management and students for achieving success in various curricular and extracurricular activities in national as well as international institutions. He said that OPF will continue its collaboration with the PARC in promoting education and research.
Earlier, the Principal OPF Shaheena Masood, apprised the participants about the achievement of the college in all curricular and extracurricular activities. She said that the OPF College has been imparting standard education and has earned fame inside the country as well as abroad.
She lauded PARC for providing the college with imported olive plants and expressed the hope that both the institutions will remain in touch with each other to work for the development of the country.
Later, prizes and medals were given away to the students who excelled in various extracurricular activates conducted by various national and international institutions.
Earlier, Chairman PARC and MD OPF also planted samplings of the olive tree in the lawn of the college campus to kick start plantation campaign.
Besides, students and other participants, PARC Member Coordination and Monitoring and National Project Director Olive Dr. M Munir Goraya, Director PARC Public Relations, Sardar Ghulam Mustaga, Director Mechanism, Dr. Ghazanfer Abbas, Officer Olive Project, Attique Ahmed and senior officers from PARC, teachers and staff of OPF college were present on the occasion.