ISLAMABAD ( WNAM REPORT ): A tow day’s national symposium on pulses was held in Islamabad under the auspices of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) Pulses Project. The event aimed to promote pulses production, marketing, and value chain development, with a strong emphasis on gender inclusion and value addition. The symposium featured four thematic sessions namely Pulses Production, Value Addition, Marketing & Rural Enterprise, Policy Implications & Way Forward and Gender Inclusion in Pulses Value Chain.
In his keynote address, Dr. Ghulam Sadiq Afridi, Chairman PARC, emphasized the importance of formulating a national policy to strengthen the pulses sector. He also highlighted the potential for import substitution and achieving self-sufficiency in pulses production. He said that we need to Linkages among the farmers and the industry for maximized outputs. Dr. Asif Ali, Chairman NSDRA also highlighted the importance of the pulses sector and the need for pulses policy.
The symposium was jointly organized by PARC, University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF), and MNS-University of Agriculture, Multan, underlining the collaborative efforts to advance the pulses value chain in Pakistan.
The event saw active participation from public sector, researchers, academia, and representatives of NGOs. The thematic sessions were chaired by Dr. Ghulam Sadiq Afridi, Chairman PARC, Dr. Asif Ali Chairman Federal Seed Development and Registration Authority, Dr. Irfan Ahmad Baig, & Dr. Fozia Kanwal.
