Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal presided over a meeting to discuss the Prime Minister’s initiative to send 1,000 agriculture professionals to China for short-term training.
The meeting was attended by officials from the Planning Ministry, Education, HEC, and other relevant departments. The minister emphasized selecting candidates with the highest potential, ensuring representation from all provinces, and focusing on those capable of making significant contributions to the agriculture sector.
Read more: Celebrating Global Fertilizer Day: The Unsung Heroes of Sustainable Agriculture
He also highlighted the importance of creating a structured action plan to ensure the training’s knowledge benefits provincial Planning and Development departments for future capacity-building initiatives. Additionally, he stressed the need for increased investment in higher education, noting Pakistan’s low enrollment rate in tertiary education compared to neighboring countries.
The training will be conducted in phases, with 300 professionals in the first phase, followed by 300 in the second, and 400 in the third. The minister also directed the formation of a monitoring committee, including representatives from HEC, the Ministries of Finance, Foreign Affairs, and Planning, to review progress biweekly.
