Pakistan govt sending youth to China for higher education to become valuable assets: Pakistani Minister

Islamabad: Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam has said that the government was sending young people to China for higher education to become valuable assets for the nation.

Speaking at a media workshop here titled ‘Addressing Zinc Deficiency through Biofortification of Zinc Wheat,’ Imam acknowledged that China had played a great role to educate and polish the Pakistani youth.

He mentioned that the Chinese universities had become a beacon of light for the Pakistani students who wish to further their knowledge and play an active role for Pakistan’s development.

“The government is sending the young people abroad for good university education like China so that new dimensions can be introduced in various fields and quality food can be provided in the country. The young people are also being educated in other developed countries,” he remarked.

The Minister noted that Chinese educational institutions had helped developed great doctors, engineers and other professionals for Pakistan.

“Pakistan is currently the largest country with a young population not only in the region but as whole in the world and its young population needs a balanced and healthy diet, which the government is focusing on. We focused on food and crop production but did not focus much on quality food and seeds, that’s why there is a shortage of basic food ingredients in children and adults in the country today,” he underscored.

Fakhar Imam pointed out that 7.8 billion people of the world were currently suffering from food shortage and other problems in which Pakistan, a country of 222 million people, is also facing these issues, on which the government was working hard.

“The basic ingredients of food, including zinc, iron and other vitamins, are essential components of our diet and are essential for a healthy life,” he stated.

Imam added that the media and related institutions must make people aware of this so that this important issue can be addressed.

The minister indicated that there were 45000 villages in Pakistan, where people are not aware regarding this sensitive issue of human life and there is need for more work in this area.

“The private sector should cooperate with the government in this regard. We need to improve food production as well as its quality,” he stressed.

Imam underlined that genetic engineering has now made great strides in seeds Bio-fortification, which can overcome these problems. He said that more than 1.6 million metric tons of biofortified wheat grain production is expected with the current crop at the time of harvest, Biofortification was progressing well in Pakistan.

Imam observed that micronutrient deficiencies were widespread in Pakistan and have profound effects on immunity, growth, and mental development of children.

At present 180,000 children die before the age of five every year due to lack of basic essential nutrients in the diet in the country, he contended.

He informed that more than 50 million people in Pakistan had inadequate zinc intake which was an important micronutrient for the health of the Pakistani people.

He remarked that more than 1.6 million metric tons of biofortified wheat grain production was expected with the current crop at the time of harvest.

“Biofortification is progressing well in Pakistan and has great potential to help reduce zinc deficiency and stunting in the children of our country. Again China is very helpful in the agriculture sector. They have been generously sharing technology,” he maintained.

Imam said that through agriculture research and introducing innovation, Pakistan can eradicate the shortage of essential nutrients in the country. “We need a knowledge economy, where it is essential to introduce new dimensions through reforms in various sectors of the country so that Pakistan can become a modern developed country,” the minister emphasized.

The workshop was jointly organized by HarvestPlus, PANAH and National Fortification Alliance at the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination. The workshop was attended by a large number of journalists, representatives from various government departments, civil society organizations and United Nation agencies.