Pakistan Agricultural Research Council

About

The Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) is the apex national organization working in close collaboration with other federal and provincial institutions in the country to provide science based solutions to agriculture of Pakistan through its statutory functions.

Functions

As laid down in PARC Ordinance 1981, the functions of PARC, are:

• to undertake, aid, promote and coordinate agricultural research;
• to arrange expeditious utilization of research results;
• to establish research establishments mainly to fill in the gaps in existing programs of agricultural research;
• to arrange the training of high level scientific manpower in agricultural sciences;
• to generate, acquire and disseminate information relating to agriculture;
• to establish and maintain a reference and research library; and
• to perform any other functions related to the matters aforesaid.

Organizational Structure

At present, PARC has seven divisions; five technical divisions: "Plant Sciences", "Animal Sciences", "Social Sciences", "Natural Resources", "Agricultural Engineering" and Two services divisions:  "Finance" and "Coordination & Monitoring". 

The activities of various technical divisions related to statutory functions of PARC are handled through in house research establishments of PARC and through countrywide cooperative research programs on various commodities, MOU’s with national / international research organizations, PSDP funded projects and also through competitive grant of Agricultural linkages Program, Ministry of Science and Technology and other institutions.

PARC Establishments

PARC maintains Research Establishments throughout the country, where research is conducted according to the agroecological needs of various regions:

• National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), Islamabad.
• Southern-Zone Agricultural Research Centre, Karachi
• National Sugarcane Research Institute (NSCRI) Thatta
• Balochistan Agricultural Research & Development Centre (BARDC) Quetta
• Arid Zone Research Centre , D.I. Khan, Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa
• National Tea and High Value Crops Research Institute (NTHRI), Mansehra
• Summer Agricultural Research Station, Kaghan
• Mountain Agricultural Research Centre (MARC), Gilgit

Coordination and linkages

PARC works in close collaboration with provincial research institutes and the universities. The Provincial Secretaries of Agriculture, Livestock and Forestry Departments, Vice Chancellors of Agricultural Universities and farmers / end-users are represented on the PARC Board of Governors (BOG). The collaboration has been further institutionalized by PARC through the forum of Research Advisory Committee on which the provincial Directors General / Directors of Research / Extension Departments, University Professors as well progressive farmers are represented.

National Coordinated research programs on different crop commodities are being implemented by PARC in collaboration with the provincial / federal research / education institutions and these provide yet another mechanism for strengthening the PARC linkages. PARC also sponsors research in the provincial institutions on priority problems through contract research projects which are implemented by scientists of provinces and universities.

PARC is conducting National Uniform Yield Trials (NUYT) which aims at evaluating candidate varieties developed by the breeders of the federal/provincial institutes/stations for their yield ability, adaptation to different agro-ecological zones, disease resistance and other characteristic.

National Coordination

The Ministries of  National Food Security & Research; Planning Development & Reforms; and Science & Technology are represented on the Board of Governors of PARC. Issues of national importance bearing on agricultural research and development in the country and identified in the PARC Board of Governors are taken up with the concerned federal ministries and departments. Similarly, PARC’s scientific staff serves on the Technical Committees and Governing Bodies of federal organizations like PCRWR, PAEC, STEDEC, Federal Committee on Agriculture, University Grants Commission, Universitites and planning and Development Division.

International Cooperation and Linkages

USAID and World Bank have been the major donors to the national agricultural research system of Pakistan. The assistance of Canada (CIDA, IDRC) UNDP/FAO, AIDAB, ADAB, ACIAR (Australia), Japan, Switzerland and Italy has also been substantial. PARC serves as the main channel to the Pakistan’s national agricultural research network for access to CGIAR’s system.

Agricultural Linkages Program (ALP) established under an agreement signed between Government of Pakistan and USA in 1999, provided 200,000 tonnes of wheat valued at US $ 23.222 million as a grant to Pakistan. Out of this, Rs. 1.3 billion was approved as Agricultural Research Endowment Fund (AREF) by the ECC for utilization of its income by PARC for funding research projects all over Pakistan.

PARC as the focus of agricultural research is functioning and will continue to function as a conduit for exchange of knowledge, skills and technical materials between provincial, federal and international research organisations to stimulate the progress of agricultural development.

Contributions to National Agricultural Research System

PARC contributions to the national system include funding of research projects of national interest; funding and implementation of coordinated research programs; planning and coordination of research monitoring, review and evaluation; training for agriculture scientists; coordination with provincial research institutes; collection and supply of germplasm; variety evaluation; material support (lab. equipment, vehicles, computers, etc.); equipment maintenance and services; sponsoring for participation in overseas meeting; information services & databases; supply of literature; linkages with international research centers; publications; national awards & medals; holding of conferences / seminars for promotion of agricultural research, etc.