MULTAN (February 10 2004): Pakistan is not afraid of WTO regime as it decided to extend its co-operation in agriculture sector with Saarc member countries particularly, with India, and affiliate the Agricultural University Faisalabad with the universities of Ludhiana and Haryana of India, said Rana Qasim Noon, Minister for Agricultural (Marketing), while delivering his speech at a Mango Seminar in Multan.

He said a delegation would be sent to India to study the agricultural marketing so that farmers could get better return of their produce, while exchange of farmers delegations would continue for the transfer of modern technology and boost the per acre yield to meet the challenges of WTO.

The minister said a Directorate of Agriculture and Marketing was being restructured and a new department of Agriculture Marketing was being developed so that farmers could attain the fair prices of their produce, and the role of middle men would be ended under the new system.

He said Mango Bazars would be organised in major cities of Pakistan, and an international mango exhibition would be organised in Multan, and foreign traders would be invited to see the varieties of mangoes.

Qasim Noon said: "We would access to world markets for fresh fruits and vegetable after establishing cold storages, processing and preservation units, warehouses and cool chain system besides, establishing modern laboratories to produce the fruits and vegetables of international standards/demand.

He also said the Market committees are being brought on line in Punjab and all the 133 committees are being computerised so that farmers could be informed about the market rates of different produces.

Courtesy Business Recorder