ISLAMABAD, Oct 7 (APP): Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Uganda Henry Oryem Okello Friday asked for enhancing bilateral cooperation in fields of dairy farming, poultry farming and animal breeding for beef production.
The Ugandan Minister visited National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) along with a delegation.
Chairman Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) Dr. Yusuf Zafar welcomed the Ugandan delegation.
Dr Yusuf Zafar said “agriculture is backbone of our country’s economy”.
He said that the current government gives high priority to agriculture sector of Pakistan to achieve food security on sustainable basis.
The Chairman PARC highlighted PARC success stories, new interventions and lab facilities of PARC system in Pakistan particularly GeneBank at NARC to share germplams of various crops with national and international agriculture system, NARC National Poultry Lab to control influenza and other poultry diseases in the regions, PARC capacity building programme of agriculture staff & farmers and other facilities for the development of agriculture.
While speaking on the occasion, Henry Oryem Okello briefed about topography and main food crops of Ugenda particularly cassava, sweet potatoes, beans, banana and coffee.
He said Ugenda is self-sufficient in production of banana which is very sweet and juicy.
He also highlighted the areas where their farming community facing problem which include post harvest management of crops, fruits, value additions products, climate change issues, and other areas.
Later on delegation visited NARC GeneBank to see crops germplams, Tissue Culture Laboratory for production of disease free plants of banana & other research activities, Horticultural crops field area, Agricultural and Biological Engineering Institute (ABEI) for PARC developed farm machinery and new interventions, Livestock Research Station and Silage Production Plant, crops field area and other new interventions.
