- The PARC VEC authorized 29 hybrid oil seed types for commercial cultivation.
- The Committee chose proposals for more than 30 candidate varieties/hybrids of various oil seeds, including canola, mustard, and sunflower, for examination.
- PARC Chairman Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali asked specialists and scientists to focus on local seed production.
The Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) Variety Evaluation Committee authorised 29 hybrid oil seed types for commercial cultivation on Monday, which will help to increase local output of edible oil production while lowering reliance on imported commodities.
The Committee, which met here with PARC Chairman Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali in the chair, chose proposals for more than 30 candidate varieties/hybrids of various oil seeds, including canola, mustard, and sunflower, for examination.
During the meeting, 29 hybrids/varieties of domestic and imported provenance were proposed for commercial cultivation based on their potential ecological value. 04 rapeseed/canola hybrids/varieties, 17 mustard varieties, and 08 sunflower hybrids were among them.
The meeting was attended by a Senior Technical Representative from the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, heads of provincial seed councils, provincial heads of agriculture and allied research, the Director General of NARC, and representatives from the private seed sector.
In his address to the meeting, Chairman PARC Dr Ghulam Muhammad Ali stated that the Council, acting on the Prime Minister’s special directions, has accelerated work on alternative oil crops to meet domestic as well as export needs.
He stated that as a result of these efforts, it was envisaged that domestic output of oil seeds would expand dramatically, reducing the pressure on foreign exchange reserves while increasing agricultural revenue.
He also emphasised the relevance of the Evaluation Committee, stating that this forum was established to assure high production and availability of many sorts of hybrids.
Dr. Ali also praised PARC and the National Agriculture Research System for their efforts to introduce new types and hybrids of seeds into the country, and stated that local production of seeds of various species, including oil seeds, would assist the government in importing batches on an annual basis.
He asked concerned specialists and scientists to focus on local seed production, particularly oil seed production and hybridization, and he advocated public-private partnerships to strengthen Pakistan’s seed sector.
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