Muhammad Nawaz Shareef University of Agriculture, Multan (MNS-UAM) and Crop Life Pakistan Association signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) at MNS-UAM for collaborative research and analysis on crops, and promotion of modern technologies in agriculture. This two-year collaborative agreement will focus on several key areas including the promotion of mechanization to improve productivity and quality of crops while also reducing time between crop life cycles. Under this MoC, MNS-UAM and Crop Life will also undertake extensive research to study the causes of the low output and propose remedial measures to arrest this trend. Speaking on the occasion, Professor Dr. Asif Ali, Vice Chancellor MNS-UAM, said that “agriculture is the backbone of our economy and therefore it is imperative that we understand the underlying issues in the sector before we begin to develop and implement policies and schemes.” He further highlighted the importance of modernizing the agriculture sector in Pakistan. “The majority of our agriculture is rooted in traditional farming, while other developing economies have embraced innovations in precision agriculture and farm automation. We must adopt modern agricultural practices in order to improve farm productivity, grow enough food for our growing population and compete internationally,” Dr. Asif explained. Rashid Ahmad, Executive Director, Crop Life Pakistan, believes that through this partnership, both organizations will be able to significantly contribute towards the development of the agriculture sector. “We are very proud to be signing a Memorandum of Cooperation with MNS University of Agriculture, Multan and look forward to combining our efforts to understand the issues that plague Pakistan’s agriculture sector. I am confident that our findings and recommendations will facilitate the government in implementing effective agricultural policies,” Mr. Rashid said.