The Pakistan Agricultural Research Council chairman has urged the experts and scientists to focus on the local production of seeds, especially oil seeds, to develop the sector.

He was speaking at a meeting where the Variety Evaluation Committee of PARC approved 29 hybrid oil seed varieties for commercial cultivation, which would help enhance the local output of edible oil production, besides reducing the reliance on the imported commodity. The committee which met here with PARC chairman Dr Ghulam Muhammad Ali in the chair, selected proposals for more than 30 candidate varieties/hybrids of different oil seeds including canola, mustard and sunflower for evaluation.

During the meeting, 29 hybrids/varieties of local and imported origin were proposed for commercial cultivation according to their potential ecology. Out of these, four hybrids/varieties were of canola, 17 mustard varieties and eight hybrids of sunflower.

Senior Technical Representative of Ministry of National Food Security and Research, heads of provincial seed council, provincial heads of agriculture and allied research, Director General NARC and representatives of private seed sector participated in the meeting.

Dr. Ali said the Council under the special directives of the prime minister had expedited work on alternative oil crops to meet domestic requirements as well as for exporting. He said that due to these efforts, it was expected that local output of oil seeds would increase significantly, adding that it would reduce the pressure from foreign exchange reserves, whereas the farm income would increase.

He also highlighted the importance of the evaluation committee and said that this forum was mandated to ensure high production and availability of different types of hybrids.

Dr. Ali also appreciated the efforts of PARC and the National Agriculture Research System to introduce new types and hybrids of seeds in the country and said that local production of seeds of various species including oil seeds would help the government import batches on an annual basis.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk