The government has decided to launch an action plan for increasing production of oil seed particularly Canola to meet domestic needs and save precious foreign exchange being incurred on its import.
According to official sources, a public awareness about prices of edible oil will be created to motivate the growers to exploit their potential for boosting production.
Ministry of Food and Agriculture is being asked to take appropriate steps to boost production of Canola by encouraging the growers and solving their marketing problems.
It is proposed that production of Canola should be at least one third of the production of total oil seeds and the action plan should include technology for harvesting Canola crop.
Edible oil deficit is a chronic problem that deprives the country of foreign exchange worth 700 million dollars. A blending ratio of 35: 65 for soft and hard oil has been introduced for improving quality of ghee and generating demand for soft oil.
Solvent oil extraction industry was persuaded to purchase farmers' produce at Rs 560/- per 40 kg as a result sunflower area increased in Sindh and Punjab.
The current area under Canola is 60,000 acres with a production of 18,000 canola oil. Production of local hybrids of Sunflower and Canola and introduction of olive through grafting is being done on priority.
The implementation of the programme has to be encouraged as it will not only help the government in earning foreign exchange but also help the private growers who are likely to take up the edible oil cultivation improving their livelihood, incomes and welfare.
Pakistan is deficient in edible oil. Of the total requirement of about two million tonnes, about 0.8 to 0.9 million tonnes is produced within the country while the balance is imported at a huge foreign exchange cost.
Cottonseed is the major supplier of the domestically produced oil, while Rapeseed, mustard (Canola included) and sunflower play only minor role.
About 1.7 million tonnes is required to meet the domestic needs of the commodity, of which 0.5 million tonnes is contributed by the local growers while the remaining 1.2 million tonnes is required to be imported to bridge the gap between the local production and consumption.
According to official sources, the PODB has developed new varieties of Canola with indigenous resources. These varieties include synthetic and hybrid varieties. Local canola performed better than the imported varieties at multi locations in the country under difference agro-ecological conditions and these local varieties are fully acclimatised to local environment.
Local canola-seed production resulted in self-sufficiency in canola-seed requirements of the country and now no canola-seed is being imported in Pakistan. Local canola-seed production resulted in reduced cost of the seed benefiting the farmers.
Local seed of synthetic types costs Rs 50 compared to international price of Rs 180 to 250 per kg. Local hybrid seed of canola costs Rs 150 compared to Rs 400 to 480 per kg.
Share of canola is only six percent in total indigenous edible oil production. However, there is a huge potential to increase production of canola oil manifolds. Main thrust in canola promotion is replacement of sarson acreage by canola cultivation.
Sarson crop is being cultivated on about 700,000 acres annually replacement of which will enhance canola acreage to about one million acres producing about 200,000 tons canola oil worth Rs 7.5 billion per annum.
Canola crop can be grown throughout the country. It requires minimum three irrigation's at sowing, flowering, and seed formation. Shattering in canola can be controlled by harvesting when 35 percent pods get mature.
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