In a bid to acquaint the students of Mozambique with latest farm practices and emerging strategies of Research and Development in agriculture, the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today offered to earmark preferential seats in the Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) for the students of African country besides running special courses to train them for empowering their farmers with professional skills. In a meeting with Counsellor Commercial, High Commission of the Republic of Mozambique Mr. Vicente Paulo C. Chihale here on the third day of Progressive Punjab Agriculture Summit (PPAS), the Chief Minister gave greater thrust on education and training of students of Mozambique in PAU, Ludhiana as their country was agriculturally backward. Mr. Badal desired that a long-term sustainable programme of student and farmer exchange and education and training of Mozambique students in Punjab should be worked out to enable their farmers to learn new techniques of farming. He directed the Vice Chancellor (VC), PAU to pursue this and finalize and formulate programmes in this regard.
The Chief Minister, while emphasising on the need for farmer exchange program between both the countries, said that it would offer a platform to the farmers of both the nations to share their experiences and expertise. He asked the Commercial Counsellor to send a delegation of Mozambique farmers to visit and live with farmers of Punjab to learn the advanced on farm practices through live demonstrations. Expressing his gratitude for an invitation to the PPAS, Mr. Paulo C. Chihale said that Mozambique would be interested to train its farmers and students particularly in cotton and rice as nearly 82 to 85 percent of their agriculture land was yet not cultivated. Welcoming the proposal mooted by Chief Minister regarding the farm exchange programs he invited farmers and agricultural experts from Punjab to visit Mozambique to train and educate their students, farmers and officials. The Chief Minister was accompanied by Financial Commissioner Development (FCD) Mr. Suresh Kumar and his Special Principal Secretary Mr. Gaggandip Singh Brar.