ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Nepal have identified a wide range of areas for cooperation in the field of agriculture at the end of the first Pak-Nepal Joint Working Group meeting which concluded here on Monday.

The joint working group meeting was held between National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), Pakistan and Ministry of Agricultural Development (MOAD), Nepal.

The meeting decided to appoint NARC Director of International Cooperation and MOAD Chief Foreign Aid Coordination as focal persons in the two countries who would establish regular communications and exchange ideas for practical steps to be taken for enhancing cooperation in the agriculture sector. It was decided that new areas of cooperation would be explored through mutual consultations as exchange of experience in respective fields of agriculture would be beneficial for the two countries.

The areas of mutual cooperation identified were: exchange of germplasm experts; agricultural mechanization; bioremediation of sewerage/waste water; land resources and water management; bio-fertiliser and fertilizer use efficiency; integrating alternative energy and high-efficiency irrigation system; integrated plant, pest and nutrient management; forage production; rangeland management; pure breed improvement programme; post-harvest technology; dry fruits; sharing of technological packages on tea, coffee, ginger, large cardamom, turmeric, true potato seed and mushroom; breed improvement programme in cattle, goal and sheep; cold water fisheries technology; vaccine production and associated technologies; agribusiness and value chain development; and agricultural policy analysis.

The Pakistan side urged Nepal to lift ban on the export of poultry and its products. It was mutually agreed that the issue will be discussed at a later stage in view of recent bird flu incidence in Nepal.

At the meeting, the Pakistani and Nepalese delegates exchanged information on each other’s capabilities in the agricultural sector. NARC DG Dr Muhammad Azeem, who represented Pakistan at the working group meeting, informed the Nepalese side about strengths of Pakistan in plant sciences, natural resources and animal sciences.

Rajendra Prasad Adhikari, who led the Nepalese delegation, briefed his Pakistani counterpart on the ongoing agriculture and research activities; and about crops and horticulture and animal sciences and fisheries in Nepal.

It was mutually decided that the next meeting of the joint working group will be held in Nepal in 2014.

The Nepalese delegation visited various research establishments of NARC in Islamabad and Murree during their stay.