IUB and Chinese University’s National Center for intercropping technology to benefit farmers, high-level meeting told

Faisalabad: National Center for intercropping technology had been set up at the Islamia University Bahawalpur (IUB) in collaboration with Sichuan Agriculture University, China that would bring the benefits of intercropping system to the farmers, a senior official said.

Dr Muhammad Ali Raza, IUB Director of the National Research Center for Intercropping Technology, told a meeting here that Pakistan and China were cooperating at every level.

“The National Center for intercropping technology had been set up at IUB in collaboration with Sichuan Agriculture University, China that would bring the benefits of intercropping system to the farmers,” he elaborated while briefing the high-level meeting.

The meeting discussed soybean cultivation. Islamia University of Bahawalpur Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Athar Mehboob was the guest of honor on the occasion. University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan presided the meeting.

Speaking on the occasion, Professor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan opined that Pakistan can save foreign exchange by promoting soybean cultivation at national level under intercropping system.

Dr Khan was of the view that it was a matter of concern that the country is spending as many as many US $ 5000 million on the import of edible oil and poultry feed.

He maintained that soybean was one of the famous crops in the world but unfortunately we were far lagging behind in its cultivation.

He said that if soybean cultivation was ensured with the help of intercropping system technology along with maize, sugarcane and other crops, it would not only help meet the demands of the country but also provide opportunities to earn billions of rupees by its export.

Dr Khan stressed that it was essential for the intercropping system to develop mechanization. He hoped that joint soybean research projects by UAF and IUB would prove a milestone in the promotion of soybean cultivation.

In his speech, Dr Athar Mehboob noted that work on three UAF and IUB joint soybean projects was in full swing while three more projects are likely to be launched in the coming days.

He said that adoption of modern trends in the field of agriculture would not only help achieve the goal of food security but would also alleviate poverty.

“We have to develop a strategy to address the issues of the country by using the developed countries models and tangible research works,” he remarked adding that it would open up new avenues of development.

He informed that different projects worth Pakistan Rs 12 billion were underway in IUB which would move the university to new heights of the progress. He explained that out of Rs 12 billion, Rs 4 billion had been arranged under public-private partnership.

Speaking at the meeting, researcher Dr Zaheer Ahmed pointed out that 30 percent of vegetable oil was obtained from soybean worldwide while it was being used in more than 400 food industries. He observed that soybean cultivation at the national level was negligible and its promotion under intercropping system was the need of the hour.

He said that China was helping Pakistan to promote soybean cultivation on modern scientific lines. He indicated that there was a need to create public awareness for enhancing the usage of soybean as part of food in addition to edible oil. “Soybeans contain 40 percent protein and 20 percent oil,” he told the meeting.