PARC to set up Genomic Centre with Chinese help
By Tariq Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD—Acting Chairman Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) Dr. Iftikhar Ahmad has said that PARC is keen to establish a Genomic Centre at the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) with the assistance of Chinese and also provide training facilities in various disciplines of agricultural research.
He said this in a high level meeting on Tuesday held to identify areas for implementing the Memorandum of Understanding signed in April 2005, between Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Live Stock and Ministry of Agriculture People Republic of China for cooperation in the field of agriculture.
The meeting was presided over by the Additional “Secretary, Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock Saleem Jhagra held here at the PARC with the five-member Chinese delegation headed by Dr. Jiayang Li, Member and Vice President, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Acting-Chairman, PARC briefed the delegation about the various activities being carried out by the PARC.
He said that we also like to cooperate in Crop management and bio-technology, pesticides and pest management including IPM technology and development of bio pesticides, post harvest management in horticulture.
Saleem Jhagra apprised the delegation that China could render assistance to Pakistan in the field of Livestock, fisheries, irrigation, genomic, fruit and vegetable and other crops, exchange of agricultural scientists, Germ-plasm, development of farm machinery to increase efficiency of irrigation,
Dr. Iftikhar proposed that training of scientists in the above fields inreputed institutions of China for degree programs as well as short term courses.
Initially about 25 scientists each for PhD and M.Sc are proposed for the training along with 50 man-month for short term training in different fields, he added.
It was discussed that the agreement would institutionalize cooperation between the two organizations.