Pakistani agricultural scientists who recently completed advanced training in China have started transferring their newly acquired knowledge and modern techniques to colleagues and researchers at home.

It marks the next phase of the Prime Minister’s China Capacity Building Program aimed at modernizing Pakistan’s agriculture sector, according to a Gwadar Pro's report on Wednesday.

Across research institutes and universities, returning experts have begun holding knowledge-sharing sessions, briefings and technical discussions to disseminate the practices and technologies they learned during six months of intensive training at leading Chinese universities and institutions.

One such knowledge-sharing session was held on Tuesday at the Ayub Agricultural Research Institute (AARI) in Faisalabad, where about a dozen scientists who had returned from China presented their training experiences and research insights to fellow researchers, students and interns.

“The scientists who trained in China have returned with valuable expertise in modern agricultural research and technologies,” said Dr. Sajid-ur-Rahman, Director General of Agricultural Research Punjab. “Now the focus is on transferring that knowledge to other researchers, students and field experts so that it can benefit Pakistan’s farming sector.”

Returning participants say the training exposed them to advanced laboratories, modern agricultural technologies and innovative research approaches that could help address key productivity challenges in Pakistan.

“The experience in China allowed us to observe cutting-edge research and practical applications of technology in agriculture,” said Rahil Shahzad, a scientific officer who participated in the program. “Our responsibility now is to share those techniques with fellow scientists and translate them into practical solutions for Pakistani farmers.”

Researchers also highlighted China’s strong emphasis on technology integration and data-driven agriculture. “Precision agriculture, smart farming technologies and collaborative research were key aspects of the training,” said Wajeeha Khan, another participant.

“We are now working to adapt these approaches to local conditions and share them with colleagues and young researchers.” Dr. Javed Ahmad, chief scientist at the Wheat Research Institute (WRI), Faisalabad, said the return of internationally trained scientists would play a key role in strengthening Pakistan’s agricultural research capacity.

“The real success of such training programs lies in knowledge sharing,” he said. “When these scientists pass on their experience and techniques, it creates a multiplier effect that benefits the entire research system.”

Under the Prime Minister’s Initiative for Capacity Building of 1,000 Agricultural Graduates in China, Pakistani professionals were sent to top Chinese universities and institutions to learn modern agricultural technologies and research methods.

So far, 885 professionals, including 648 men and 237 women, have completed the training and returned to Pakistan, where they are now beginning to act as “master trainers”, passing on their expertise through seminars, institutional briefings and field-level engagement.

The training covered nine priority areas critical to Pakistan’s agricultural modernization, including farm mechanization, crop speed breeding for crops such as cotton and hybrid rice, drone, IoT and artificial intelligence applications in farming, advanced seed production technologies, livestock disease surveillance and genomics-based breeding, shrimp aquaculture, high-efficiency irrigation systems, and value addition in fruits and vegetables processing.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China