The Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) offered the farmers of rice, wheat, maize, and sugarcane crops training of soil testing, seed selection, water management and adoption of innovative technologies to enhance crop per-acre crop yield, across the country during last four years.

Under Agriculture Innovation Programme (AIP) has trained about 100,000 farmers funded by USAID, said an official of PARC.

He said that up-to-date technology of crop sowing including zero tillage wheat and ridge planting of wheat were circulated between the farmers under the programme.

Field extension, research institution, and universities were part of the programme so that they can enhance the rice output, direct seeding for rice (DSR) technology introduction to farmers.

CIMMYT under the same AIP agronomy project has achieved the target to train 12,000 farmers for zero tillage, ridge planting and better nutrient management techniques in association with national partners.

USAID has funded $ 15 million implemented through CIMMYT, PARC and another investor for 4 years programme.

The program has targeted training of agriculture professionals from provincial and federal research institutes, agriculture extension, universities, private companies and international research centers for agronomy research along with education of technologies among the farming community.

Under the programme 15 students nominated for Ph.D in US universities from leading agriculture universities of Pakistan.