PARC team up with CABI, USDA, and USAID to reinforce commitment towards safeguarding health of plants, humans: Chairman

islamabad pr Pakistan Agricultural Research Council in collaboration with Center for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI), with support from USDA and USAID, organized a Stakeholder Engagement Workshop under the program “Regulatory Harmonization in Pakistan for MRLs and Biopesticides” at National Agricultural Research Center, Islamabad. The focus of the event was the importance of Maximum Residues Limits (MRLs) for pesticides. Maximum residue limit(MRL) is the highest level of a pesticide residue that is legally tolerated in or on food when pesticides are applied as per Good Agricultural Practice.Various stakeholders involved in research commissioning and research implementation attended the workshop, including scientists throughoutNARC system, CDRI, ERP-IPEP, Director, AZRC Umerkotand extension workers from provincial departments of agriculture, private sector and from leading agriculture universities of Pakistan.

During the event, Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali, the Chairman of PARC, commended the collaborative efforts of CABI with the support of USAID and USDA in reducing the exposure of MRLs and aflatoxin in crucial commodities of Pakistan. He stressed the importance of eradicating such issues at the grassroots level to generate greater economic benefits for the country. The Chairman of PARC also reassured attendees that PARC would continue to work with CABI to implement initiatives that prioritize the health of both people and plants. Dr. Ali underlined the role of MRLs as a technical barrier to trade and emphasized that these initiatives would contribute to improved trade relations with neighboring countries.

Dr. Babar E. Bajwa, Senior Regional Director- Asia at CABI, extended a warm welcome to all the participants attending the workshop. He highlighted that the CABI and PARC partnership aligns well with the contemporary approaches taken by developed.

China boosts global cooperation with joint naval drills in Pakistan

islamabad

Staff CorreSpondent

TheAMAN-23 multinational maritime exercise, hosted by the Pakistan Navy with the participation of about 50 countries including China, wrapped up with an international fleet review on Tuesday, with the guided missile destroyer Nanning of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy winning praise from Pakistan’s naval chief. China’s participation in the joint drills marks a boost in its military exchange and cooperation with foreign countries, which have been hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic over the past three years, and more such activities will take place, experts said on Wednesday.

The five-day exercise that started on Friday culminated on Tuesday in the North Arabian Sea with an international fleet review followed by the spectacular AMAN Formation, comprising the Pakistan Navy and foreign naval ships including the Type 052D destroyer Nanning of the PLA Navy, with Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif in attendance.

The drills started with seminars, operational discussions and professional demonstrations among other preparations in harbor, before switching to the sea where scenarios included tactical maneuvers, anti-piracy, counterterrorism, search and rescue, live-fire shooting as well as air defense exercises. having closely cooperated with forces from other countries, the PLA Navy ship Nanning displayed a high level of professionalism as well as command and control capability, as the drills enhanced the participants’ capabilities to deal with maritime security threats together and demonstrated their determination to jointly safeguard maritime security, said the PLA Navy in a statement on Wednesday. The traditional friendship between China and Pakistan was highlighted in the Nanning‘s port call in Karachi, with Pakistan’s Chief of Naval Staff Admiral M Amjad Khan Niazi among other high-ranking Pakistan Navy officers boarding the Chinese ship during the exercise. Niazi said at the international fleet review on Tuesday that the Nanning is a wonderful ship.

Some 50 countries participated in the AMAN-23, with Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and the US also sending warships.