Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan has said the country’s agriculture sector has witnessed 6.6 per cent growth this year, and it has a huge potential that can be tapped by supporting small farmers and developing agriculture on modern lines in order to ensure food security and earn foreign exchange.

He was presiding over 28th Convocation of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) on Tuesday.

During the convocation, degrees were awarded to 9,194 students who graduated in 2023, while 26 outstanding students were awarded gold medals, 61 silver medals and 20 were given bronze medals. As many as 124 PhD scholars were also given the degrees on the occasion.

In his address on the occasion, the governor lauded the UAF’s role in the development of agriculture in the country, hoping it would continue to serve the country in the coming years.

He stressed the need for taking measures to remove bottlenecks in the system so that the dream of agricultural prosperity could be realised and agricultural imports could be curbed.

The governor said that more than 60pc of the country’s population consists of youth, which could play a vital role in its development if equipped with quality professional education. He said: “We also need to take steps for moral uplift of society.”

The governor called for promotion of patience and tolerance in society so that difference of opinion could be accommodated through arguments based on logic.

UAF Vice Chancellor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said in his address said that in the last 15 years, the Punjab and federal governments have spent around Rs40 billion on development of the university’s infrastructure, which is more than the amount invested in the institution during the last 100 years.

He said that the UAF is the only educational institution in the country which has been ranked among the top 100 universities across the globe.

The VC said that in 2008, women made 20pc of the total strength of the UAF students, while presently their ratio has exceeded 50pc.

He said through international partnerships, the varsity has established facilities like Centre for Advanced Studies, D-8 Centre, Pak-Korea Nutrition Centre, Confucius Institute and Seed Testing Lab.

He said 75pc of the students are admitted to the UAF on the basis of quota of district and rural area.

The VC said that the university had prepared a 10-year agricultural policy for the government, while now a five-year policy is also being prepared.

An ‘Alumni Meet’ event was also organised, featuring various programmes, including ‘Sufi Night’ and sports competitions.

Controller of Examinations Muhammad Tariq and senior alumni Hafiz Abdul Qayyum also spoke.

The governor also visited the family of martyred Lt Col Muhammad Ali Shoukat Randhawa at his village and condoled his death. He offered fateha for the departed soul and paid tributes to him for his sacrifice for the motherland.

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2024