STAFF REPORT ISB: A meeting of Steering Committee of Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) was recently held. The meeting was aimed at project of National Pesticide Residues Monitoring System in Pakistan.
Seerat Asghar, Federal Secretary of Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFSandR) chaired the meeting. He said that pesticides residues were causing adverse impacts on human health as well badly affecting the export of food products particularly fruits and vegetables. He further said that serious efforts from scientists are required to develop and adapt alternate techniques to avoid use of pesticides.
Chairman Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) Dr. Iftikhar Ahmad told while addressing in the meeting that PARC was establishing Centre for Excellence of Pesticide Residue at National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) and satellite lab in each province for better monitoring and mitigating the adverse impacts of pesticides residues.
Director Ecotoxicology Research Institute of NARC Dr. Karam Ahad gave a detailed presentation about the project and its components.