Evaluating the Building Capabilities in Order to Promote Long-Term Agricultural Development in Pakistan

Abstract

In emerging nations, agriculture remains the backbone of the economy. In Pakistan, this industry accounts for 25% of the country's GDP and employs more than 44% of the workforce. It offers raw materials for the regional industry as well as being a significant source of export revenue. Agriculture production varies greatly across developed and developing nations; on average, it is approximately twice as high in industrialized nations. A solid R&D infrastructure and enabling policies are required to close the gap in order to increase output using technologies that are both environmentally beneficial and readily adopted by farmers. Only agriculture that is founded on science can succeed in this cutthroat environment. The goal of research should be to increase the genetic potential of plants and animals, both in terms of production and quality, as well as to increase resource utilization efficiency. Like other developing nations, Pakistan's National Agricultural Research System (NARS) is constrained in terms of its size, amount of financing, and the caliber of its scientific and professional workforce. Building these scientists' and professionals' capacities—and, most significantly, those of the farmers—should thus play a significant role in the nation's agricultural growth. Numerous training-program efforts have had great success in the past, and the contemporary models, which are based on information technology, are even more sophisticated. Universities are crucial stakeholders in the capacity-building approach because they serve as knowledge engines and provide quality graduates to the NARS, extension system, and industry.