Agriculture plays a pivotal role in the economy and development of Pakistan providing food to consumers, raw materials to industries, and a market for industrial goods. Unfortunately, agricultural production is stagnant due to several barriers including a fixed cropping pattern, reliance on a few major crops, a narrow genetic pool, poor seed quality, and a changing climate. In addition, the high cost of production, weak phytosanitary compliance mechanisms, and a lack of cold chain facilities makes Pakistan agriculturally uncompetitive in export markets. Despite all these issues, agriculture is the primary industry in Pakistan and small farmers continue to dominate the business. Small farmers grow crops for subsistence under a fixed cropping pattern and a holistic approach is required to develop agriculture to improve the livelihoods of the rural populace.
This book presents an exhaustive look at agriculture in Pakistan. Chapters provide critical analyses of present trends, inadequacies in agriculture, strategic planning, improvement programs and policies while keeping in view the natural resources, plant- and animal-related agricultural production technologies, input supplies, population planning, migration and poverty, and balanced policies on finance, credit, marketing, and trade.
Iqrar Ahmad Khan with long career in education and agriculture had earned PhD from the University of California, Riverside. He is currently serving as Vice Chancellor of the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan (since 2008). Dr. Khan has supervised more than 100 graduate students and researchers, established a Center of Agricultural Biotechnology and co-founded a DAAD sponsored 'International Center for Decent Work and Development' (ICDD), USAID funded Center of Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security, a French Learning Center and the Chinese Confucius Institute. He has organized numerous international conferences and established academic linkages across the continents. He has released a potato variety (PARS-70), pioneered research on breeding seedless Kinnow and discovered new botanical varieties of wheat. Dr. Khan initiated an internationally acclaimed program to solve a devastating problem called Witches' Broom Disease of Lime in Oman. He is currently leading international projects to combat citrus greening disease and mango sudden death. He has published more than 270 articles, five books and several book chapters. Dr. Khan has a diplomatic skill to attract international partnerships and academic linkages (Afghanistan, Australia, South Korea, China, Germany, France, Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey, Iran, India, Oman, Canada, UK and USA). He has managed collaborative research projects sponsored by national and international agencies. As Vice Chancellor, he has revamped UAF academic, research and outreach programs. He added new academic disciplines to narrow the knowledge gaps in microbiology, biotechnology, environmental sciences, food and nutrition, climate change, engineering, rural development and education. UAF has achieved top ranks within the national system as well as in the QS and NTU rankings. Dr. Khan has a special knack for problem solving research. He has set up an Incubation Center for the commercialization of knowledge. Exhibitions and business plan competitions have been made biannual features. A range of new quality assurance mechanisms have been added and special initiatives are taken to narrow the gender gap. Dr. Khan is a Fellow of Pakistan Academy of Sciences and member of several professional societies and associations. In recognition of his outstanding contributions in the area of Agriculture and Food Security he was decorated with a civil award, Sitara-e-Imtiaz by the Government of Pakistan and very recently with Ordre des Palmes Académiques (with the grade of Officer) by the French Government for his exceptional role as an educator.
Muhammad Sarwar Khan with vibrant career in agriculture, education and biotechnology has earned PhD from the University of Cambridge, UK. The Rockefeller Foundation awarded him a prestigious fellowship under Rice Biotechnology Program for Developing Countries to carry out research at Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers the State University of New Jersey. His findings were published in Nature Biotechnology - a research of first-of-its-own-kind. Dr. Khan was a founding Head of Biotech Interdisciplinary Division at NIBGE, and is currently serving as the Director of Center of Agricultural Biochemistry and Biotechnology (CABB), University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan. Dr. Khan has supervised about 80 PhD, MPhil students and researchers who are serving at national and international levels in various research institutes and universities. He has published enormously in high impact journals including Nature and Nature Biotechnology, and is an author of a number of books and book chapters. Dr. Khan has made colossal contributions in the field of biotechnology. He also pioneered plastid transformation in rice and sugarcane, recalcitrant plant species. As far as translational research is concerned Dr. Khan has developed borer-resistant transgenic sugarcane plants with no toxin residues in the juice. His current research interests include development of edible-marker-carrying transgenics and cost-effective therapeutics and edible vaccines for animals.
