Arid Zone Research Institute  was established in 1971 with its research sub-stations at Dera Ismail Khan, Umerkot, Quetta & Chakwal with it’s headquarter at Bhawalpur. In 1973 headquarter was shifted from Bhawalpur to Quetta; In 1981 revised scheme was approved for 5 years. It was made fully operational in 1985 with the support of USAID under MART project (AZR Component) implemented by ICARDA. Arid Zone Research Institute was up-graded as Arid Zone Research Centre (AZRC) in 1996 with its sub-stations at D.I Khan, Umerkot & Bhawalpur as Institutes directly under AZRC, Quetta w.r.t. administrative, financial & technical control. Since 2004-05 all the AZR institutes were placed out of the aministrative control of AZRC, Quetta.
The center was renamed as PARC Balochistan Agricultural Research & Development Center (BARDC), Quetta in 2014 with its headquarter at Quetta. PARC has extended/upgraded its establishments in Balochistan to cater the needs of the  people of province. Under BARDC Quetta, five institutes namely, Horticultural Research Institute Khuzdar, Coastal Agricultural Research Institute Lasbella, Agricultural Research Institute Turbat, Agricultural Research Institute Jafferabad and Agricultural Research Institute Barkhan at Rakhni (new) are working with the aim to enhance agricultural productivity through efficient management of natural resources (water, land, range lands, livestock, medicinal herbs and fisheries etc.)