Promoting Climate-Resilient Agriculture: Punjab Farmers Trained to Tackle Food Security Challenges
FAISALABAD: Director General Agriculture (Farms and Training) Punjab, Ishtiaq Hassan, has emphasized that ensuring food security amid the growing threat of climate change requires the promotion of high-yielding, climate-resilient crop varieties and closer collaboration between agricultural scientists and farmers.
He expressed these views while addressing a Farmer Field Day held at the Government Seed Farm Gojra as the chief guest. The event was jointly organized by the Directorate General Agriculture (Farms and Training) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to promote nutrient-rich and climate-smart crops that can withstand rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and drought conditions.
Dr. Romeo, International Agriculture and Farming Systems Specialist from the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, along with the FAO project team, visited the demonstration plots showcasing climate-resilient crop varieties.
Dr. Ishtiaq Hassan stressed that delivering modern, climate-smart agricultural technologies to farmers’ doorsteps is vital for food and nutrition security in a warming world. He underlined the importance of adaptive research and the growing role of millet, a drought-tolerant crop increasingly recognized for its resilience to climate extremes.
Dr. Muhammad Tariq, Director Agriculture Coordination, praised the strong partnership between FAO and the Directorate in promoting sustainable, climate-resilient farming practices. Farm Manager Dr. Noushaba Nargis and Dr. Saleem Ashraf briefed participants on ongoing climate adaptation experiments, while a sensory evaluation of millet varieties was conducted with farmers’ active participation.
Abid Manzoor, Director Adaptive Research Farm Sargodha, shared his field experiences regarding demonstration plots managed under changing climatic conditions. More than fifty farmers attended the event, underscoring the growing awareness of climate adaptation in Punjab’s agricultural landscape.
