The Secretary Agriculture Punjab, Muhammad Javaid Iqbal Awan has asked the agricultural scientists to develop input conservation technology to reduce production costs for the benefit of farming community. He was addressing a meeting of agricultural scientists at Ayub Agricultural Research Institute Faisalabad to discuss matters relating to establishment of Foundation Seed Cell at AARI, Faisalabad.
The Director General, Research, Dr Muhammad Rashid, Director General, Agri-extension, Dr Anjum Ali, Director General Field, Dr M Yasin, Director General, Water Management, Malik Abdul Majeed Mufti also attended the meeting. Under this project, all basic research facilities would be provided to research institutions to produce pre-basic seed and provide it to public and private seed companies in required quantity.
As a result of this project, seed of newly improved varieties will be available to the farmers. Further, Foundation seed units will be established at eleven institutions and a seed cell will be established at AARI Faisalabad. The foundation seed cell will act as a co-ordination body between various research institution, Punjab Seed Corporation and private seed companies.
The Agriculture Secretary further told the meeting that in order to increase the production of crops, availability of quality seed to farmers is of paramount importance and research institutes should play their role for this purpose.