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ISLAMABAD: The China-Pakistan Agricultural Corridor (CPAC) project will bring socio-economic development to the country’s farmers and further pave the way for a new era of cooperation between the two all-weather strategic partners.
National University of Science and Technology (NUST) China Study Center Director Xiang Yang, in an exclusive chat with APP on Sunday, said CPAC is a project of high significance and will serve as a model for other countries in the region to emulate and emulate. strengthen the belief that cooperation and partnership can lead to significant achievements and benefits for all.
She said that NUST has signed three MoUs with various Chinese institutions to increase agricultural productivity in Pakistan. The agreements were signed with Weifang Engineering Vocational College, Qingzhou Municipal People’s Government and Weifang National Comprehensive Open Agricultural Development Pilot Zone, she claimed.
She said that this cooperation will enable the sharing of resources, expertise and knowledge between China and Pakistan and work together towards the common goals of improving and promoting sustainable methodologies in the agricultural sector.
She said agriculture, in South Asian countries, is struggling with low productivity, supply shortages, low yields for farmers, lack of advanced technology and trained professionals, thereby threatening food security in the region.
Addressing these issues will have a significant impact on people’s lives, especially in Pakistan, as it is an agro-economic country with huge potential for crop production and research in agricultural sciences, she added.
Xiang Yang said NUST is actively conducting research on plant biotechnology, environmental sciences, agrotechnology and agribusiness with an emphasis on precision agriculture, multispectral sensing of crop fields, 3D printing and scanning applications, early detection of pathogens and effective plant disease management. .
However, contributing to sustainable agricultural resource management systems is still a major challenge, she said, and expressed hope that these agreements will play a vital role in filling this gap.
According to the agreements, the institutions will carry out research on the construction of the entire system of agricultural industry chains between China and Pakistan, research on industrial development strategy, analysis of industrial demand and forecasting of development prospects.
They would help in in-depth processing and industrialization development of local agricultural produce in addition to research and development and integrated innovation of key technologies for efficient standardized crop cultivation in Pakistan.
They will organize a three-year training program for international students, promote bilateral exchanges between the two countries, apart from helping to provide employment opportunities.
They will build an agricultural laboratory and test fields in Pakistan to experiment and promote advanced Chinese agricultural technology, in addition to precision crop fertilization and technology exchange and cooperation to reduce harvest loss.
They would design a joint application for agricultural science projects to work together for the social and economic development of both countries.
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