By Qudsia Bano
Pakistan is taking a big step to improve its agriculture research. A high-level committee has been set up to carry out the Strategic Reform and Cooperation Plan for the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC). This Pakistan Agricultural Research Reform aims to turn PARC into a results-driven organization that supports national food security and agricultural innovation.
Pakistan Agricultural Research Reform: Driving Food Security
The plan is a joint effort of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA), and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS). The new committee will make sure all reforms suggested in the MARA-CAAS study are carried out in an organized and accountable way.
Key Role of the National Agricultural Science and Technology Roadmap
The committee will act as the central hub for all reform activities. It will track progress, set measurable goals, and monitor results transparently.
Its job is to bring together all the recommendations from the joint assessment into a revival program that matches Pakistan’s agricultural needs and follows international best practices.
Strengthening Federal and Provincial Research Coordination
The committee will guide reforms in investment, managing skilled staff, transferring technology, and aligning research with national priorities. It will set up an operational plan, approve timelines, and coordinate with past reform efforts, including suggestions from the Food and Agriculture Organization (2022), the Prime Minister’s Institutional Reforms Cell (2019), the Dr. Ishrat Hussain Report (2021), and the International Food Policy Research Institute (2012).
Progress will be checked every three months using clear indicators. The committee will also improve coordination between federal and provincial research institutions to avoid duplication and make sure efforts complement each other.
Federal centers will focus on broad research, while provincial centers will handle region-specific agricultural challenges.
Boosting Innovation Through Technology Transfer Units
One of the committee’s first tasks is to prepare a National Agricultural Science and Technology Roadmap (NARS). This roadmap will guide research in areas like food security, climate resilience, and boosting exports. It will also promote the use of biotechnology, digital agriculture, and precision farming in research programs.
Special sub-groups will be formed to focus on funding, incentives, skill-building, and technology commercialization, each with clear tasks. Early priorities include launching the National Agricultural Technology Transfer Center (NATTC) and setting up Technology Transfer Units (TTUs) in research institutes to spread innovation and strengthen public-private collaboration.
Funding, Incentives, and Skill-Building for Researchers
The committee will also apply a benefit-sharing model, giving up to 70 percent of revenues from successful commercialization of technologies to the researchers and institutions involved. It will work with MARA and CAAS on joint research projects, including labs for crop improvement, livestock studies, food value addition, and the development of advanced farm machinery.
Author Profile
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Qudsia Bano is a financial correspondent focused on Pakistan's fiscal health.
Her reporting, driven by SBP data, tracks the country's vital foreign exchange reserves. Bano’s work highlights the central bank's success in stabilizing reserves near the $19-20 billion range, underscoring its crucial effort to maintain exchange rate stability.
