PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 20th Apr, 2025) The Nuclear Institute for food & Agriculture (NIFA), Peshawar, on Sunday marked its annual Farmers’ Day 2025 with a vibrant event aimed at raising awareness and disseminating advanced agricultural technologies and crop varieties to farmers and end-users.
Dr. Masood Iqbal, Member Science, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), graced the occasion as chief guest and formally inaugurated the ceremony. The event brought together key stakeholders from the agricultural sector, including scientists, policymakers, and Progressive Farmers.
In his welcome address, Dr. Gul Sanat Shah, Director NIFA, extended gratitude to the chief guest, dignitaries from the provincial agriculture departments, and progressive growers for attending the event.
He highlighted NIFA’s notable achievements, including the development of 29 high-yielding crop varieties such as wheat, oilseed brassica, chickpea, and mungbean, which are being successfully cultivated across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
He also spoke about the institute’s scientific innovations, such as a rapid spot test kit for detecting iron in fortified wheat flour, a Vitamin A detection kit for edible oil, and comprehensive water analysis services through an ISO 17025 Accredited Laboratory.
Addressing the gathering, Dr.
Abdur Rauf, Director General, KP Agricultural Research, acknowledged the challenges faced by the research community and shared that despite limited resources, KP Agricultural Research has developed 317 crop varieties.
He commended NIFA’s breeders for their significant contributions and assured continued cooperation through KP’s 16 research stations.
Chief guest Dr. Masood Iqbal emphasized the importance of defense, power, health, and agriculture as the four key pillars of national progress. He praised PAEC’s role in fostering economic and social development through basic and applied research in these sectors.
He also acknowledged the efforts of other PAEC-supervised agricultural institutes including NIAB and NIBGE in Faisalabad, and NIA in Tandojam, Sindh, recognizing their invaluable services in strengthening Pakistan’s agricultural base.
Muhammad Ismail Khan, Khalid Hussain, Progressive Growers along with representatives from seed companies, shared their experiences and expressed satisfaction over their ongoing collaboration with NIFA for sustainable agricultural development.
The event concluded with a shield presentation ceremony, where Director NIFA honored the chief guest and distinguished guests from the provincial agriculture sector for their presence and support.
