GUARD to introduce drought-tolerant rice variety

After successfully launching the hybrid rice varieties, the Guard Agriculture Research and Services Limited (GUARD) is soon going to introduce drought tolerant rice variety to mitigate the negative impact of water shortage on rice production. This was disclosed by the Guard Agri Chief Executive Shahzad Ali Malik while addressing the Company's annual sales conference here on Saturday. SAARC Chamber Vice President and Chairman of the Company Iftikhar Ali Malik, Executive Seed Division Shah Rukh Malik and others also addressed on this occasion.
Malik said that their company started working in 1999 to import, acquire and develop the latest agricultural and crop technologies to produce quality seed aimed at increasing per acre yield and help the nation build grain surpluses to achieve adequate food security. 'Since then we have got approved seven different hybrid rice varieties from the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) successfully being sown across Sindh and other parts of the country while last year the company also introduced a heat tolerant variety,' he added.
He said that their heat tolerant variety was giving results even in the hottest region of Larkana. He said that their company keeping up its tradition of twenty years was still carrying out research and development to introduce such seeds of different corps which could achieve higher yields resulting in prosperity of the farmer and strengthening of agricultural economy.
SAARC Chamber of Commerce & Industry Vice President Iftikhar Ali Malik speaking on this occasion threw light on the history of his company and the efforts it started in collaboration with Chinese to introduce hybrid rice varieties which have more yielding potential and greater resistance against different diseases.
He said that SAARC Chamber's headquarter building was ready to commence operations in Islamabad. He said that a nine storey building had been constructed at a cost of Rs800 million. He vowed that his company would continue striving to bring agricultural revolution and maximizing production of different agricultural crops.
Guard Agri General Manager Rizwan Younus also announced launch of rental services of three different types of harvesters for rice crop which could help the farmers to bring down the post-harvesting losses.