By Abrar Saeed ISLAMABAD, Nov 05 (INP-WealthPK): Chairman of Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) Dr Ghulam Mohammad Ali said that the new high-yield and top-quality rice variety developed in collaboration with China would help achieve the ambitious rice exports target set by the government for the next five years. In an exclusive interview with INP-WealthPK, PARC chief said the new rice variety, given nomenclature of green super rice (GSR), has successfully completed the laboratory and field trials and would be rolled out for commercial use from next rice sowing season. “Initially, the available seed with PARC would be provided to the farmers and it would grip the rice sowing areas in a next couple of years because of its quality and high yield,” he added. Dr Ghulam Mohammad Ali said that he went an extra mile in examining the quality and yield of GSR and managed its sowing in four different rice-growing areas of Punjab on several acres to be more certain about its quality and yield. Sharing more details about this new rice variety which is expected to give more than double yield than the existing varieties being sowed across the country, PARC chief said the National Institute for Genomics and Advanced Biotechnology (NIGAB) scientists worked in close collaboration with their Chinese counterparts in developing GSR. PARC chief also shed light on the working of NIGAB on genomics of host of other crops with the aim to bring improvement in their quality and yield as well as making the crop resistant against diseases and pest attacks. “PARC is working on new crop breeding technologies, including speed cloning, speed breeding, genomic selection, and genomic editing for boosting domestic agricultural output, achieving food safety and security,” he explained. The rice varieties being grown across the country can produce maximum up to 45 to 50 maund (1maund is equal to 40kg) per acre yield, while this new variety of rice would produce yield from 80 to 120 maund per acre depending on the soil quality. The size and length of rice grain up to 8.6 millimetres is achieved which is far better than the available rice varieties. PARC chief further said that they have actually developed three to four varieties of GSR which would be drought and salt resistant, while with the use of advanced genomics-based research, they have introduced good qualities of some varieties of rice in the DNA of GSR. Appreciating the help and support from China, PARC chief said that they are also working on host of areas for bringing green revolution in agriculture sector. He said the GSR variety of rice is a joint leap forward and that is the reason he calls it a green super revolution instead of green super rice. According to government figures, the total rice exports of the country in fiscal year 2020-21 stood at 2.04 billion which Pakistan wants to double by financial year 2025-26 and this ambitious target seemed achievable with the new high-yielding varieties of rice like GSR in hand. According to the data provided by Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited (PRAL), the rice exports for 2019-20 stood at $2,168.39 million which slightly dipped in 2020-21. The first three months of current fiscal (July-Sept) witnessed increase in rice exports which stood at $427 million against $360 million in the corresponding period of last financial year. With the lifting of Russia’s ban on rice import from Pakistan, enhanced market access from China and opening up of market access in Philippines, and enhanced exports prospects in Indonesia, Malaysia and Iran, Pakistan can easily achieve the target of doubling its rice exports by 2026. PARL data further identified Kenya, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Mexico, Chile, etc. as countries where Pakistan’s non-Basmati rice prospects are rich, while for Basmati rice exports, Pakistan can fortify its position in Saudi Arabia, EU, Kuwait, Iran, UK and a few other countries. The data further showed the rice exports potential to some of the countries as under; Saudi Arabia ($1.3b), EU ($1.3b), Kuwait ($352m), Iran ($1.4b), UK ($435m), Kenya ($388m), Indonesia ($184m), Philippines ($1b), Malaysia ($452m), Mexico ($386m), Chile ($231m). With proactive exports promotion initiatives coupled with complete transformation of the country’s agriculture on scientific lines, which country’s agriculture scientists are fully committed to, Pakistan can bring about green revolution in the country for the collective good of the farming community and overall economic growth.