Daily Times

MULTAN: Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan Margaret Adamson said that Pakistan and Australia enjoyed cordially relationships in various fields especially in the agriculture sector.

Addressing the two-day Mango Festival at the Mango Research Institute, she said that she was happy to know that mango was second major fruit of Pakistan. Besides cricket, mangoes were also recognition of Pakistan, she said, and congratulated Pakistanis on excellent victory at the Lords Cricket Ground.

The event was organised jointly by Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture and the Agriculture Department. She informed the gathering that Australia was extending immense cooperation especially in agriculture field, adding that the Agriculture Sector Linkages Programme (ASLP) launched by Australia in Pakistan was yielding good results.

It aimed to improve contemporary farm practices, establishing disease free nurseries, improving marketing opportunities and value added chain system, she said and added that training to scientists and farmers was also being managed under the ASLP. She said that scientists of both the countries were sharing their experiences with one another and benefiting the farmers.

Nearly 5000 farming families were being supported through this programme in Pakistan, she said. She said that both the countries were also working on dairy and livestock sectors. Like Punjab, Australia was also offering agriculture assistance in Sindh and Balochistan.

On this occasion, Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Sikandar Hayat Bosan, MNA Muhammad Khan Daha, MPA Rana Mehmoodul Hassan and others were also present.