Food and Agriculture Organisation team offers more cooperation to farming community in Sindh

A delegation from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) paid a visit to Sindh Agriculture University (SAU) in Tandojam to explore avenues for enhancing collaboration, particularly in education, research, student internships, and capacity building. The FAO delegation, headed by Officer-in-Charge James Robert Okoth, met with SAU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Altaf Ali Siyal.

Other members of the team comprised Maria Usman, the assistant FAO representative (Administration); Pedro Grazon, the project manager for RAFAA; and Dr Ashfaque Ahmed Nahiyoon, the provincial coordinator of the GCF Project.

Vice Chancellor Siyal expressed gratitude for FAO Pakistan’s ongoing support to the agriculture sector, noting that Sindh was one of the regions grappling with severe challenges stemming from shifting climatic conditions. He stressed that agricultural experts and institutions needed to deliver practical assistance to farmers. The meeting focused on the urgent need for agricultural experts to collaborate closely with farmers and relevant institutions to devise practical solutions to the challenges posed by climate change, food security, modern agricultural technologies, and sustainable farming.

Delegation head James Okoth highlighted the FAO’s previous successful collaboration with the SAU and expressed enthusiasm for expanding joint initiatives in the future. He emphasized the importance of integrating agricultural education and research with hands-on field experience to ensure that graduates could effectively address emerging challenges related to climate change, food security, and innovative farming techniques.

Okoth also underscored the importance of broadening institutional ties between SAU and FAO to offer students and faculty more opportunities for research, internships, professional training, and capacity development.

The FAO representative underscored the organization’s intent to engage with local communities and institutions, especially those in disadvantaged areas of Sindh, to promote sustainable agricultural practices. He stressed the FAO’s commitment to collaborating with local communities and institutions to foster agricultural development and sustainable farming practices in Sindh.

The meeting concluded with a reaffirmed commitment from both institutions to deepen cooperation, strengthen institutional links, and create practical opportunities for students and faculty, with the overarching goal of assisting farmers and advancing sustainable agricultural development in Sindh.