The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Chief Representative Mitsuyoshi Kawasaki has said that the JICA will continue support and cooperation for such joint programmes for the promotion of agriculture sector in Pakistan for economy growth and food security.
He stated this while addressing on the occasion of “certificate distribution ceremony of capacity development programme of agriculture extension services of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) at the NARC.
Dr Nadeem Amjad, Chairman PARC, said that that Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) always acknowledged the support of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for various development projects in Pakistan.
The PARC chairman said that the project of capacity development of agriculture extension services in KPK was started in January 2015 with the joint efforts of PARC, JICA and KPK-Department of Agriculture Extension to train 100 agriculture extension officers (AEOs)/subject matter specialists (SMSs) and 250 field assistants (FAs) about new knowledge/innovations and practical skill to provide better agriculture extension services to the farmers of KPK.
In the first batch of training, 25 AEOs/SMSs and 50 FAs of Malakand and Hazara divisions have been trained. He further said that the dissemination of knowledge about advanced agricultural technologies along with improved communications skills would give confidence to the trained extension staff to perform their role effectively in improving farm productivity, employment generation, mitigating environmental degradation, and uplifting socio-economic conditions of rural masses of KPK.
Director General-NARC Dr M Azeem Khan in his vote of thanks congratulated the participants of this capacity development programme on successful completion of their training at the NARC. He said the PARC, with the cooperation of international partners, was implementing agricultural innovation programme in Pakistan to improve productivity of agriculture sector and to uplift socio-economic condition of farming community. He highlighted the endeavours of federal minister for NFS&R and secretary MNFS&R for promotion of agriculture sector in the country. He appreciated the JICA support for the capacity development of extension staff of KPK.
