A tour of the National Agriculture Research Centre (NARC) premises in Islamabad was arranged for the development partners of FAO Pakistan.
Representatives from USAID, ICARDA, US Embassy, JICA, Action Against Hunger and IFPRI Pakistan were taken around different facilities available at NARC to introduce them to the research being done in Pakistan’s agriculture sector.
Dr. M. Azeem Khan, Director General NARC giving an introduction about NARC to the visitors, acknowledged support from FAO in obtaining certified status for research laboratories at the Centre.
Visitors were taken to Canola and Oat experimental fields, fruit orchards, laboratories, green houses and gene bank.
They were also shown how NARC was using innovative ideas through partnerships to progress in agri research in Pakistan.
Earlier Mr. Patrick T. Evans, FAO Representative to Pakistan welcomed the guests at the FAO Representation. Brief presentations on Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) by Dr. Yousaf Zafar, PARC Chairman and National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) by NARC Director General Dr. M. Azeem Khan gave useful information about PARC and NARC.
National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), Islamabad was established in 1984, and is the largest research centre of the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC). NARC, with a total land area of approximately 1400 acres, is located near Rawal Lake, six kilometers south-east of Islamabad.