Arid university, PPAF ink MoU for climate-smart agriculture

Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (PMAS-AAUR) and the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote climate-smart agriculture, strengthen the peanut value chain and improve rural livelihoods

RAWALPINDI, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Jul, 2026) Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (PMAS-AAUR) and the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote climate-smart agriculture, strengthen the peanut value chain and improve rural livelihoods.

The signing ceremony was held at the university, where Chairman Prime Minister's Youth Programme (PMYP) Rana Mashood Ahmad Khan was the chief guest, and Chief Executive Officer of PPAF Nadir Gul Barech attended as the guest of honor, said a press release issued by the university.

Addressing the ceremony, Rana Mashood Ahmad Khan said that the government was establishing Digital Youth Hubs across the country to provide modern training and enhance entrepreneurship. Highlighting his recent visit to China, he announced that strategic initiatives for agricultural development and technology transfer between leading Chinese agricultural universities and PMAS-AAUR would be launched soon.

The Chairman also paid tribute to Pakistan's Armed Forces, stating that under the leadership of Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Pakistan's global image has strengthened, leading to increased foreign investment and socio-economic opportunities.

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Speaking on the occasion, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) PPAF, Nadir Gul Barech, explained that the collaboration would be implemented under the "Climate-Resilient Peanut Value Chain Development for Rural Enterprise and Economic Graduation Project." The initiative was aimed to improve peanut production systems, enhance value addition, expand digital advisory services, and improve market access for farmers through an integrated research-to-market model.

Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Qamar-uz-Zaman expressed gratitude to the PMYP and PPAF, highlighting that arid university possesses state-of-the-art laboratories and advanced research facilities capable of delivering innovative solutions to benefit farming communities and ensure national food security.