RAWALPINDI by IMTISAL BUKHARI
Federal Minister for Railways, Muhammad Hanif Abbasi, stated on Tuesday that agricultural reforms are a critical need of the hour, emphasizing that the country must increase its agricultural exports for national development.
“Everyone must work hard together for the progress of the country,” the minister said while addressing the closing ceremony of the 2nd International Agriculture Conference at Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi.
The conference was organized by the university under the theme, “Transforming Agriculture through Digital Innovations.” The closing ceremony was chaired by the Federal Minister, with MPA Asma Naz Abbasi as the guest of honor. The hybrid event featured both physical and online participation, with some international speakers attending in person and others presenting their research papers virtually.
Address the gathering, Minister Abbasi remarked that the participants had the privilege of listening to esteemed intellectuals from around the world who shed light on important topics that will help modernize the agricultural sector.
“The world is rapidly moving towards technological integration; we, as a nation, also need to adopt digitalization and modern goals in agriculture by utilizing our available resources and the efforts of our insightful experts,” Abbasi said.
Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Qamaruz Zaman, in his address, stated that the era of automation, artificial intelligence, and smart farming has begun. “It is essential that we also align traditional agriculture with modern agriculture,” he said. “By adopting these innovations, we can reduce production costs, improve fertilizer use, save water, minimize environmental impact, and significantly increase overall crop yield.”
He extended his gratitude to all the national and international guest speakers and participants for their valuable contributions. The VC also commended the conference organizers—Dr. Muhammad Naveed Tahir (Chief Organizer), Dr. Shoaib Rashid Saleem (Conference Secretary), and their entire team—for the successful execution of the event.
The conference featured eight technical sessions where national and international scholars presented their research papers. It also included an agricultural expo, an IT exhibition, a bird show, a food festival, an art and craft display, and a poster competition.
The event concluded with the presentation of shields and souvenirs to the distinguished guests and participants. The third day of the conference will consist of a farmers’ fair to be held at the university’s research farm on Chakwal Road.