40th Postgraduate Training Course Concludes At NIFA Peshawar

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Oct, 2025) The Nuclear Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Peshawar, concluded its 40th Postgraduate Training Course on the theme “Application of Nuclear and Other Techniques in Food and Agricultural Research”.

A NIFA press release on Sunday said the five-day course, held from October 13 to 17, 2025, was part of NIFA’s annual training program aimed at familiarizing participants with the practical use of nuclear and advanced analytical techniques in food and agricultural research.

The inaugural session was presided over by Dr. Gul Sanat Shah, Director NIFA, who welcomed the participants and highlighted the institute’s major research and development achievements. Dr. Muhammad Amin, the course organizer, emphasized the importance of the training and its relevance to various agricultural research fields.

A total of 39 participants from different research organizations and universities across Pakistan attended the course. These included representatives from the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam, PMAS Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Gomal University D.I. Khan, Women University Mardan, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University Sheringal, University of Swabi, University of Haripur, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University Peshawar, The University of Agriculture Peshawar and Islamia College University Peshawar.

During the five-day program, NIFA experts conducted 20 lectures and 8 hands-on training sessions covering key topics such as climate change, climate-smart agriculture, spectroscopy, atomic absorption, and near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS).

Participants also visited the Agriculture Research Institute (ARI) Tarnab, where Senior Technical Officer Mukarram Shah briefed them on ongoing research projects and laboratory facilities.

Participants appreciated NIFA’s management and faculty for organizing a highly practical and up-to-date training course. They expressed confidence that the knowledge and skills acquired would enhance their institutions’ research capabilities.

The closing ceremony was graced by Dr. Gulzar Ahmad, Senior Director, Agriculture Research Institute Tarnab, as the chief guest. He lauded NIFA’s contributions to agricultural development in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and noted that the development of high-yield and disease-resistant crop varieties was a result of NIFA’s dedicated efforts. He also emphasized the importance of adopting modern technologies and expressed commitment to strengthening future collaboration between ARI and NIFA.

In his concluding remarks, Dr. Gul Sanat Shah thanked the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) for its continued support and appreciated the tireless efforts of the organizing committee. He stressed the need for institutional collaboration at the national level to tackle emerging challenges in food and agricultural research.

The event concluded with the

distribution of certificates, where participants were encouraged to apply their newly acquired skills to promote innovation and strengthen agricultural research in Pakistan.

APP/vak