RECORDER REPORT

FAISALABAD: The country was facing the issue of weak marketing for agricultural produce, marring getting reasonable prices not only domestically but also at the international market.

This was stated by University of Agriculture Faisalabad Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad while addressing inaugural session of a three-day workshop on students' entrepreneurship and professional development arranged by Department of Computer Sciences at the New Senate Hall, UAF.

Chairing the session, he showed his concern that middlemen were fleecing the producers as well as the consumers. He said, "Keeping in view, we have to strengthen our agricultural marketing system in order to make the agriculture a profitable sector."

He said in the modern trends, the online shopping had gained an immense importance. "There is a dire need of getting benefit from information and communication technologies to compete with the rest of the world."

He said that the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, Faisalabad was the lucky one which was surrounded by two sides in north and south, creating the new business opportunities. He said "in China, the wages were four times higher than us. We have to prepare ourselves with the entrepreneurial skills, good marketing tools and innovative ideas to sell our produces in the international market at the reasonable prices."

He lamented that mostly, it was observed that the students were looking for a job after completion of their studies. He said "we have to polish the entrepreneurial skills and innovative ideas to become a self-employed."

He said the University had established a Business Incubation Centre eight years ago in order to provide a platform and fior giving an opportunity to the students to run a start-up company.

Pakistan Institute of Entrepreneurship CEO Tahir Mehmood Ch said more than 90 percent of the products in the country directly or in-directly related to the agriculture. He stressed the need to inculcate the Information and Communication Technology with the agriculture sector in order to increase the profitability in the sector.

He called for honing the skills relating to entrepreneurial skills, and innovative ideas to work as the key of the bright future. He said there is need to tap the agricultural sector as the country was having the four seasons, ecological zone etc. He said that with the usage of social media, the farming community can sell their produces.

Dean Faculty of Sciences Dr Muhammad Javed called for enhancing the skills of students with innovative ideas, so that they could face the challenges of life effectively.

Computer Sciences Department Chairman Dr Tasleem Mustafa urged the students to take the career into own hands and start a project or a small business whether they were selling the produce on the social media, internet. He said his department was offering a new business or project which can act internship. He said that his department had produced thousands of IT professional who were working successfully across the country and abroad.