LAHORE: Cotton Sub-committee of the Punjab Seed Committee has proposed approval of Hi-Tech GMO & Hybrid Cotton seed varieties on a fast-track system by avoiding complicated rules and procedures to achieve a better yield of this cash crop.
The committee while submitting its recommendations to Governor Punjab also proposed a merger of the Variety Evaluation Committee (VAC) and Provincial Seed Councils to hold a joint meeting to reduce the time in approval of new varieties. For the speedy commercial release of new Cotton Seed varieties, the permission may be given on a truthful labelling basis like other many countries, the committee submitted.
Dr Khalid Hameed the Convener of the Cotton Sub Committee presented recommendations at a meeting held at the Governor’s House with the Governor Punjab Baligh ur Rehman in the chair the other day.
Governor Punjab Muhammad Baligh-ur-Rehman speaking on this occasion said that the revival & development of valuable cotton crop was a great need of the hour, as it was playing a vital role in achieving more than 60% foreign exchange annually from the export of textile Products. During the last decade, we achieved a record yield of 1.44 crore bales, while presently we are achieving only 50 to 55 lakh bales.
As resultantly a 3-time decrease in the yield of the Cotton crop has badly affected National Econom, he added. The Governor further stated that non-payment of Cotton Cess by APTAMA was badly affecting the performance of Cotton Research Institutes.
Governor Punjab said that the support price recently fixed by the Federal Govt. for Rs. 8500 per maund would encourage the farmers for sowing Cotton in a maximum area in the forthcoming Khareef Season.
Baligh-ur-Rehman highly appreciated the combined efforts of the Research Institutes, Agri experts, agricultural department, Agricultural Universities and eminent researchers of the private sector as members of said committee, for contributing valuable recommendations for improving the quality of Hi-Tech Cotton seed varieties for achieving better yield. He directed the Secretary of Agriculture Punjab to hold a meeting of the Punjab Seed Council next week, to urgently settle the issues of the private sector relating to the approval of Hi-Tech. Cotton Seed varieties.
Dr Khalid Hameed in his submissions further stated that the Government of Pakistan should urgently take a clear stance on GMO induction in Pakistan.
The convener of the committee also said that the Seed Act 2016 may be implemented strictly to control sub-standard and unapproved fake seed businesses. He also demanded that reasonable cash incentives be given to the breeders of the public & private sectors for evolving highly yielding cotton variety on consecutively two years of promising field results.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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