Sri Lankan scientist for enhancing crops production

Faisalabad: Pakistan and Sri Lanka should enhance cooperation in education and agricultural research. Development of different varieties of sugarcane and other crops to increase their productivity can be helpful for both the countries to increase income of their farmers.

 This was stated by Sri Lankan Scientist Dr. Aruna Wijesuriya from Sugarcane Research Institute, Ministry of Minor Export Crop Promotion, Sri Lanka, during his visit to University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) here on Wednesday. He called on UAF Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan at VC Chamber. Dr Muhammad Afzal from Sugarcane Research Institute, Ayub Agriculture Research Institute, Prof. Dr. Jalal Arif, UAF Principal Officer, Public Relations and Publication and entomologist were also present.

 Dr. Aruna told that Sri Lanka in sugarcane recovery was standing at 8 to 12 per cent whereas recovery in Australia is 16.5 per cent. He said that his country was cultivating various varieties of crops taken from Pakistan, Brazil, Australia, Hawaii and other countries.

 He said that with literacy rate of 92.5 per cent, his country was one of the most literate populations among developing nations. It is one of the few countries in the world that provides free education from primary to higher education for their inhabitants, he said, adding that the free education system was established in 1945. As many as 22 universities are functioning there for preparing a trained manpower in every field. All of them were providing education in field of agricultural, he added.

 Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that the both countries were enjoying the friendly and time tested relations. Their relations must be further cemented especially in agricultural research to get the benefit from each others experiences and working for the common cause. He praised the service of Sri Lankan experts in order to fight the dengue epidemic that has created disturbance for the people.

 He said that the university was actively working on various diseases of sugarcane including red rot to eradicate them from the country. He said that the university gave admissions to the students on the district quota system basis in order to prepare manpower for all parts of the country.

Dr. Muhammad Afzal said that the Ayub Research Institute had given 30 varieties of sugarcane to Sri Lanka.