Social Sciences Institute (SSI), located at National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), is the field research wing of Social Sciences Division of Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC). PARC is the country’s leading agricultural research organization at federal level with the responsibility to steer the National Agricultural Research System (NARS) through strengthening and coordinating its various components. Being the prime institution of agricultural research, the main focus of the council is to undertake and promote research in the areas do not fall under the priority research programmes of other components of the NARS. PARC perform such role through its research establishments located in different agro-ecological zones of Pakistan. NARC constitutes one of the largest research establishments located at Islamabad. SSI was established in July 1990 as an important component of NARC Master Research Plan with a specific mandate to ensure the active participation of multi-disciplinary teams of scientists from social, biological, natural resources and farm machinery disciplines to conduct priority research for the NARS. SSI operates through several research programs involving sister research institutions, development, agencies, NGOs and other stakeholders. The mandate of the SSI is as under:

Mandate

• undertake research on different priority issues of national and regional importance in the disciplines of agricultural social sciences;

• provide research feed-back to the biological scientists working on different crops and livestock;

• develop and strengthen linkages with research and extension for technology transfer;

• extend consultancy/advisory services to the biological scientists; and information dissemination and human resource development through trainings, workshops, seminars and conferences.

The institute is targeting its mandate through its following three components:

1. Socio-economics Programme

2. Biometrics Programme

3. Gender and Development Programme

Each programme has its own agenda for achieving the set targets of SSI. Since the establishment of the institute, the scientists of the respective programmes have remained involved in multi-disciplinary and collaborative research activities, under the given mission of each unit.

Socio-economic Programme

• Initially, this programme was established in 1984 as an independent research unit with the name of Agricultural Economics Research Unit (AERU), which was ultimately merged into SSI as Socio-Ecomomics Programme (SEP). The prime objective of the programme is to study farm level researchable issues and provide feedback on technology verification and adoption to the concerned scientists and programmes.

• At present, the SEP has expertise in conducting baseline, adoption and impact studies, sectoral, agricultural marketing and demand analyses.

Biometrics Programme
This programme was also initiated in May 1984 with the name as Computer and Statistics Section (CSS) and ultimately merged into SSI as Biometrics Programme. The prime objective of the programme is to enhance the quality and credibility of biological research conducted at NARC. The programme bears responsibilities of conducting research in experimental designs, sampling procedures, statistical genetics, computer softwares and data processing along with providing advisory services on experimental design/layout for field/labs. Experiments and professional consultation to scientists of all the research programmes at NARC.

Gender & Development Programme
Gender & Development Programme is the youngest programme of SSI. Gender and Development (GAD) approach has emerged as a result of the shortcomings of Women in Development (WID) approach, concentrating on the unequal relations between men and women. WID was focused on using development resources for improving women's conditions and making their contributions visible. However, it did not address the basic structure of inequality in the relationship between women and men, as it had a tendency to focus solely on women. The term gender arose as an analytical tool from an increasing awareness of inequalities due to institutional structures. In most of the societies gender relations are unbalanced and women often make their contributions with unequal access to control over and benefits from natural resources and resource use. It is an essential condition for people-centered sustainable agricultural and rural development to transform partnership of women and men based on equality. To ensure sustainable development it is imperative to promote gender equality in the access to sufficient, safe and nutritionally adequate food; access to, control over and management of natural resources and agricultural support services. Gender and Development Programme is trying to make significant contribution in this regard. The main objectives of Gender and Development Programme are to focus its efforts to mainstream gender in agricultural research; conduct research studies in collaboration with biological scientists by integrating gender analysis in agricultural research; conduct research studies in collaboration with biological scientists by integrating gender analysis in agricultural research; and to conduct baseline surveys to establish database on gender roles in agricultural activities.

Achievements

Socioeconomic Programme

So far as, the unit has published more than fifty research and development reports. The major study areas were pertaining to Farming System Research (FSR), diagnostic studies, economics of alternative technologies, commodity studies, technology verification/adoption, baseline/benchmark studies and role of gender in agriculture. The brief of major study areas is as follow:

Diagnostic Studies

The main purpose of diagnostic studies is to provide information about problems and constraints to production of crops, livestock and horticultural enterprises through farm level surveys by a multidisciplinary team. These studies are helpful in delineating recommendation domains and prioritizing research activities. In this category more than 10 studies have been conducted so for.

Benchmark Studies/Surveys

Benchmark surveys are carried out to provide basic information in the areas on all necessary aspects prior to launching a new project in the area; also termed as pre-ant analysis. These studies help planning, designing and implementation of projects. It also helps to estimate the benefits/achievements of a project by comparing before and after situation of a project. About 5 studies were conducted in this area.

Production Constraints

These studies are conducted to identify constraints and problems to specific crops and livestock activities to help in designing on-station and on-farm experiments. Keeping in view the problems and constraints hindering towards production of specific crops, livestock and horticultural enterprises. In this area about 10 studies were carried out.

Economics of Alternative Technologies

If more than one technologies are available for a specific agricultural operation then the best one is chosen on the basis of benefit to cost ratio, keeping in view all the aspects of the technologies. In this area, about 6 studies were conducted.

Cost of Production of Food and Cash Crops

These studies are initiated when more than one crops are raised on a farm under specific farming system. For this purpose, all costs incurred for raising alternative crops and benefits accrued to crop and livestock production were assessed to arrive at comparative analysis. An agricultural enterprise is recommended on the basis of higher benefits/gains achieved. Under this scenario about 6 studies were conducted.

Adoption and Diffusion of Technologies

Various technologies have been developed in a research system to improve productivity and the quality. To assess the performance and level of technology adoption at farms, technology diffusion studies were conducted. Factors affecting the adoption of specific technologies identified and reasons for no-adoption of technologies studied. The information is generated for researchers, extensionists, planners and policy makers to refine the technologies, if necessary for their rapid adoption. For this purpose, about 9 studies were conducted.

Impact studies

Impact studies were conducted to estimate the economic, social and technological impact of various agricultural technologies on the farming community as well as to the farming system of that specific region. Up to now SSI has conduct about 4 impact studies.

Seminars Delivered
1.   Opportunities for International Trade in Livestock Products from Pakistan
2.   Gender Dimensions in WTO
3.   Research for Development: A Case of Urea Mineral Molasses Blocks under BVDP
4.   Socioeconomic Impact of Special Day Markets (Fruits and Vegetables) on the Citizens of Twin City
5.   Technology Transfer through Informal Seed Production of Rabi Crops in Rainfed Areas of Pothwar
6.   Gender Dimensions in Rice Based Livelihood System of the Punjab
7.   Pakistan's Edible Oil Consumption and Trade
8.   Local Capacity for Supporting Innovations Change
9.   Evaluation of Different Rice Genotypes for Stability in Yield Performance
10. Pulses for the Improvement of Soil and Human Health: Evidence from South Asia
11. Marketing of Walnut in AJK
12. Role of Different Organizational Processes in the Evolution of Sustainable Community Organizations
13. Pakistan's Agricultural Terms of Trade
14. Trend Analysis of the Livestock Population vis-à-vis Human Population in Pakistan
15. Competitiveness and Economic Efficiency of Major Crops in Pakistan: Applications of Policy Analysis 
      Matrix (PAM)
16. Marketing of Apple in AJK
17. Post Harvest Losses in Rice Crop
18. Use of Alpha Lattice Design and its Advantages over Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD)
19. Social Impact Assessment: An Analytical Technique
20. Economic Analysis of Agricultural Projects
21. Gender Base Economic Gains through Micro Enterprise Development: A Case Study of Rainfed Pothwar
22. Regional Demand for Food in Balochistan, Pakistan
23. Economic Analysis of On-Farm Experimental Data

Research Reports:     2003-2004               2004-2005                2005-2006

List of Publications

Scientific Staff

Resource Person: