A third group of 107 Pakistani agricultural professionals began a three-month training programme on modern agricultural technology in China. The participants are undergoing their studies at the Northwest A&F University located in Yangling, Shaanxi.
Muhammad Akbar Khan visited the China Yangling Agricultural Hi-Tech Fair on Saturday during his three-week stay in the country. Khan stated that the training had exposed him to technologies and methods that could be useful to Pakistan’s farming sector.
He noted that better-organised agricultural information and new technologies could help farmers improve production. The programme was intended to develop young professionals who could support farming communities at provincial and national levels, Khan said.
Khan suggested that agricultural extension and modern technology are areas with scope for further cooperation between China and Pakistan. The challenge was to translate training into projects and practical results, he added.
Results would take time because participants and institutions needed to plan projects, develop them and move towards implementation, Khan said. The Pakistani government was seeking to make training and capacity-building efforts more collaborative by engaging different stakeholders, according to Khan.
He also emphasised that smallholder farmers needed to be more involved in productive agriculture.
