Expensive fertilizers raise output cost

HYDERABAD: China's agricultural expert Prof Dr. Liao Zongwen of South China Agriculture University (SCAU) has underlined the need for teachers, students and researchers' excahnge between his and the Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam.

"Both the universities are situated in areas where the climate is similar," he observed Monday while addressing a meeting attended by heads of different faculties and administrative sections at Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam.

Prof. Zongwen informed that SCAU would soon launch various projects in Sindh Agriculture University, besides it would offer degree programs to the university's graduates in agriculture, food, sciences, livestock and agricultural equipments subjects.

About the issues stunting the agricultural development in Sindh, the Chinese expert noted that expensive fertilizer was augmenting the cost of agricultural production whereas sand and water problems also need to be worked at. He told that a joint research study would be conducted to deal with water related problems and challenges in cultivation and also the phosphorous deficiency in agricultural lands.

Speaking on the occasion, Vice Chancellor Sindh Agriculture University Dr. Abdul Qadir Mughal informed that the university was working in collaboration with the Chinese university to raise its teaching and research quality to that of the global standards.

Additionally, research of PhD students would also be sent to the experts in SCAU as to infuse the international standards in the work, he added. The vice chancellor told that they were also considering joint production of different types vaccinations with the Chinese counterparts. According to him, in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission (HEC) both the universities were also working together on projects like making infertile lands fecund, production of alternate crops for food security and availability of quality seed in profusion.

On the occasion, Pro Vice Chancellor Dr R B Mirbahar, Prof Dr Ameer Baksh Kalhoro, Prof Dr Shamsuddin Tunio, Prof. Dr. Safar Mirjat, Prof. Dr. Maqsood Anwar Rustamani, Prof. Dr. Altaf Siyal, Prof. Dr. Sagheer Ahmed Shaikh and others also spoke.