Punjab Minister for Agriculture Malik Ahmed Ali Aulakh has congratulated Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif for signing an agreement with China for BT cotton technology, finally breaking the monopoly of American and European multinational technology providers.
The Minister said that Punjab government, led by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, was encouraging modern research in the agriculture sector to make the country self-sufficient in food requirements. Talking to newsmen here on Friday, he said that the Punjab government would continue to provide modern agricultural equipment to farmers to bring about the targeted green revolution in the country.
He said that the provision of subsidy to farmers across the province, particularly for the purchase of quality agricultural equipment, was a historic event for the country. He said that the Punjab government attached great importance to the agricultural sector, adding that worthwhile incentives had been offered to farmers so that they could effectively cultivate barren land.
He appreciated the contribution made by the Guard Agricultural Research and Services for successfully evolving quality high yield of different five varieties of extra long hybrid grain rice in seven years. He said that the organisation had now established the Guard World Combine Harvester for paddy and wheat, using Chinese help, adding that the centre was equipped with latest technology.
He said that he would urge the Chief Minister to provide this harvester to farmers at subsidised rate through the Punjab Bank to save 20 to 30 percent of harvest. Aulakh said that the country had spent a record amount of Rs 300 million on developing varieties of rice for the farmers' benefit. He added that in the larger national interest, this was done without financial assistance from any other quarter.
Guard Agricultural Research and Services Director Shahzad Ali Malik said that the development of new rice varieties was the result of nine-and-a-half years of continuous research, conducted by a team led by renowned agricultural scientist Dr Majeed. He said that they had achieved a record bumper paddy crop of 6.5 million tonnes, adding that it was one million tonnes more than that of last year's.