Minister for Food Security and Research Dr. Kauser Abdulla Malik has expressed the government’s resolve to introduce modern technology in agriculture sector to ensure bumper crops in the country. Addressing a ceremony in Islamabad on Thursday, he called for enhancing the expertise of food scientists and providing them with latest equipment to produce high quality of seeds and other agricultural inputs. The Minister pledged to prepare a viable plan to fully support the provinces in the areas of modern branches of food sciences and impart training to the manpower. Dr Kauser said besides Punjab, Balochistan, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan have also satisfactory potential in agriculture sector and its potential can be unlocked by enhancing the scope of cultivation. Dr Kausar Abdullah further underscores the need for taking more appropriate measures to strengthen the food security system in the country, besides improving the global food index as Pakistan is currently ranked at the 99th position in terms of food security index. The minister lauded the efforts of the Pakistan Agriculture Research Council and called for ensuring the dissemination of research results to the doorsteps of farmers to turn around the local agriculture sector. He also expressed satisfaction over the increase in local cotton output and said that steps to be taken to resolve the issue of soybeans to facilitate the poultry industry. Speaking on the occasion, Chairman PARC Dr Ghulam Muhammad Ali apprised the minister about the research and development activities carried out at the council. He informed that about 180 new research scientists and supporting staff were hired to fulfil the deficiency of the workforce and urged for establishing an endowment fund to enhance expenditure in research and development.