(Publish from Houston Texas USA)
(Zafar Chishti)
Faisalabad:The meeting of the Regional Agricultural Forum (Central Punjab) reaffirmed a strong commitment to collaborative efforts among academia, research institutions, agricultural extension, farming community, and industry through an integrated approach to ensure sustainable food security in the region.
The meeting was chaired by Vice Chancellor, University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF), Prof. Dr. Zulfiqar Ali, who highlighted the government’s positive initiatives in strengthening agriculture through research driven policies, farmer focused extension services, and promotion of public private partnerships. He emphasized that UAF continues to play a leading role in aligning academic research with national agricultural priorities and farmer needs.
Prof. Dr. Zulfiqar Ali stressed that modern challenges such as climate change, food insecurity, and resource constraints demand joint planning, shared knowledge, and coordinated action. He underlined UAF’s ongoing efforts in capacity building, technology transfer, and commercialization of research to support farmers and agri-industry.The meeting was attended by Chief Scientist Wheat AARI Dr. Javed Ahmad, Director Agriculture Extension Faisalabad Khalid Mehmood, Dean Faculty of Agriculture UAF Dr. Ghulam Murtaza, Director ORIC Dr. Rao Zahid Abbas, Registrar UAF Dr. Asif Kamran, Executive Director Endowment Fund Dr. Babar Shahbaz, Director P&D Irfan Abbas, Director Academics Dr. Hafizah Shafia Tehseen Gul, along with other senior officials and stakeholders.
Participants agreed to launch more capacity building programs, enhance crop-wise collaborative initiatives, and jointly establish demonstration fields to showcase modern agricultural technologies for farmers. The forum also called for stronger academic industry linkages, effective knowledge sharing, promotion of innovation, and accelerated commercialization of research and development outcomes.
The meeting appreciated the Wheat Campaign jointly conducted by UAF and the Agriculture Extension Department in November 2025, terming it a successful example of effective coordination between academia and government institutions.
The Central Punjab Regional Agricultural Forum comprises six divisions: Faisalabad, Lahore, Sargodha, Sahiwal, Gujranwala, and Gujrat. The forum reiterated its resolve to continue collective efforts, under government guidance, to strengthen Pakistan’s agricultural sector and ensure food security through science based solutions and stakeholder collaboration.
