Independent Report
By Aziz Yousufzai
Uthal, 28 November 2025 — Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water and Marine Sciences (LUAWMS) held a ceremony at the Agriculture Faculty Seminar Hall to distribute bio-fortified wheat seeds to local farmers. The event was presided over by Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Ilahi Bakhsh Marghazani, while Dean Faculty of Agriculture Prof. Dr. Muhammad Rashid was also present.
Speakers highlighted the nutritional value of bio-fortified wheat and its potential benefits for the Lasbela region. Dr. Shadab Shakir, Principal Investigator of the Endowment Funded Project, University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF), distributed bio-fortified seeds of the well-known variety Akbar-2019 among farmers, along with informational literature. He urged farmers to use these iron- and zinc-rich seeds for multiplication to ensure enhanced production of nutrient-dense wheat in the coming season, adding that such initiatives would help address regional nutritional deficiencies.
Representatives of the donor agency, including Umer Saeed Qadri, Deputy Treasurer of the Endowment Fund Secretariat at UAF, as well as LUAWMS faculty members Dr. Waseem Bashir, Dr. Rubina, Faheem Abbas, Adil Hameed, Qaisar Habib, and Sanaullah were also in attendance. They appreciated the efforts of LUAWMS and Dr. Shadab Shakir for promoting bio-fortified wheat cultivation.
The distributed seeds were produced using advanced seed-breeding and processing technologies, ensuring high nutritional quality and improved genetic traits suitable for national and regional competitiveness. The ceremony was attended by faculty members, students, and a large number of farmers from across Lasbela district.
