Qudsia Bano

A high-level implementation committee has been formed to execute the Strategic Reform and Cooperation Plan for the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), designed to turn it into a performance-driven institution supporting national food security and agricultural innovation goals. The joint plan 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) assigns the committee responsibility for coordinated and accountable implementation of all reforms proposed in the MARA-CAAS study.

The document states that the committee will serve as the central coordination platform for reform activities, ensuring timely execution, measurable milestones, and transparent monitoring. It will integrate the recommendations of the joint assessment into a comprehensive revival program consistent with Pakistan’s agricultural priorities and international best practices. The committee will oversee reforms covering investment, talent management, technology transfer, and alignment of research with national requirements.

It will also establish an operational framework, approve timelines, and harmonize implementation with earlier reform efforts, including recommendations of 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 reviewed quarterly using defined indicators. Coordination between federal and provincial research institutions will be strengthened to prevent duplication and promote complementary agendas.

Federal centers will focus on foundational research, while provincial bodies will address region-specific agricultural problems. Preparation of a National Agricultural Science and Technology Roadmap (NARS) is among the committee’s initial tasks. The roadmap will guide research priorities related to food security, climate resilience, and export growth, promoting the integration of biotechnology, digital agriculture, and precision farming tools into research programs.

Specialized sub-groups will be created to focus on funding mechanisms, incentive systems, capacity building, and technology commercialization, each with clear deliverables. Early priorities include operationalizing the National Agricultural Technology Transfer Center (NATTC) and establishing Technology Transfer Units (TTUs) in research institutes to promote innovation dissemination and stronger public-private linkages.

The committee will apply the benefit-sharing model that allocates up to 70 percent of revenues from successful commercialization of technologies to researchers and institutions. It will also coordinate with MARA and CAAS on joint research projects, including laboratories for crop improvement, livestock research, food value addition, and development of high-tech farm machinery.

Credit: INP-WealthPk