ISLAMABAD: Approximately 30 Department of Plant Protection officials and other agricultural professionals from across Pakistan participated in a two-day training July 30-31 designed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support the Government of Pakistan’s efforts to expand agricultural trade.
The preparation intends to build Pakistani fares by educating authorities how to agree to worldwide plant wellbeing norms. Pakistan as of now fares roughly $585 million of crisp foods grown from the ground yearly, said an announcement issued here today.”This preparing and comparable ones fill the double need of extending the Pakistani fare market and building nearer ties between our administrations and individuals,” US Embassy Agricultural Counselor David Williams said. “We anticipate proceeding with our participation with the Government of Pakistan to expand foods grown from the ground fares to the US market.”
“Learning about sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures from a team of USDA, Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International, and other learned experts was a unique experience,” said Dr. Muhammad Anjum Ali, Director General for Extension and Adaptive Research in the Punjab Agriculture Department. “I have gained a lot from the trainers and methodology.”
Agriculture is Pakistan’s second-largest sector, accounting for over 21 percent of GDP. It remains by far the largest employer, with 46 percent of the labor force working in the sector. For the nearly 62 percent of the Pakistani population in rural areas, agriculture is a vital part of daily life.
This training session was the latest step in a broader collaboration between the United States and Pakistan to enhance agricultural productivity in Pakistan and to support economic growth and food security.
With funding from the US Agency for International Development, USDA, Texas A&M University, and the Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International also have developed 12 online training modules to benefit individuals and organizations working in the Pakistani agricultural sector.