VEC meeting put off at the 11th hour

A meeting of the Variety Evaluation Committee (VEC) of the Ministry of National Food Security & Research, which was to discuss the next generation biotech maize hybrid seeds of leading multinational companies, was cancelled at the eleventh hour here on Wednesday. The VEC, one of several such forums, reviews new seed varieties for cultivation, including maize hybrid seeds.
The meeting is a routine forum held periodically; however, a small faction of local seed and grain industry, which is threatened by the superior seed technology, apparently attempts to block approvals of much-needed new seed technology for maize hybrids.
Sources privy to the matter confirmed that the next generation biotech maize hybrid seeds of leading multinational companies under review at the said meeting had demonstrated significant yield advantage in the government-mandated National Uniformity and Yield Trials (NUYT) and had fully complied with all requirements of national seed regulations.
Industry experts are of the view that the introduction of biotech maize hybrid seeds will provide significant cost and yield advantage to the Pakistani farmers, providing the impetus for much needed gain in crop productivity necessary to meet growing demand for maize grain in the country.
The past 20 years have seen the maize crop show phenomenal growth, owing mostly to the introduction of latest high-yield hybrids by leading multinational seed companies. According to data published by the government of Pakistan, the average yields for maize crop have almost tripled and productivity has grown to nearly 6 million tonnes, as opposed to mere 1.5 million tonnes in 1995. Presently, more than 65% of maize grain seeds produced in the country are sourced by the poultry feed industry, another 10% is consumed for silage, whereas the remaining grain feeds into various other processing businesses.
However, with a growing poultry industry and advent of new demand segments, such as silage, further increase in productivity and improvement in cop economics will be a key to meet future needs. There is consensus in the industry that technology adoption is the only viable solution to address the growing demand for maize grain.