UAF establishes Farmer Facilitation Centre

The University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) has established a "Farmer Facilitation Centre" under which a helpline 080054726 and a website kissandost.pk have been launched in collaboration with National ICT R&D Fund. It was revealed at the conference on site specific and economical crop production technology and its dissemination through ICT held here on Thursday. 

UAF Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan while addressing the participants has said that FFC will provide the guidance to the farming community for best cropping system. He said that mobile phones, TVs, internet and other methods have gained immense importance, influencing the opinions of the people. 

The effective use of these technologies for agriculture purpose can help the country to uplift the agricultural sector. He also said the knowledge is generating with the large pace that must be communicated to the farmers. He said that imbalanced usage of input is costing the country million of the rupees. 

He said that in New Zealand, there are two agricultural universities for the population of four million people. Former Vice Chancellor UAF and Director Centre for Advanced Studies in Food Security and Agriculture Professor Dr Bashir Ahmad said that the world has increased the agricultural productivity manifold. He was of the view that the promotion of ICT in the agriculture sector is the need of the hour to compete with the world. 

He said that the food security is one of the major threats for the world amid climate changes and depleting water resources. Parliamentarian Makhdom Syed Alam said that the country is blessed with tremendous resources and talent. He said that the food security and less water resources are the real challenges. 

"We have to take extra measures to promote the modern technology and make them accessible for the farming community," he added. He said, "There is dire need to tap the potential and to make the efficient usage of the resources. ICT in agriculture will not only curtail the wastage of inputs etc but also fetch the money for the farming community." 

Taken from Business Recorder