LAHORE: Participants of the 59th meeting of the Punjab Seed Council (PSC) on Thursday called for overhauling the seed approval system in the province and taking all the stakeholders from the private and public sectors onboard to draft the proposals for speed approval.

The participants reviewed the measures being taken to reconstitute the sub-committee of the agricultural experts, which was disbanded in the last meeting of the Corporation. The disbanded committee had been entrusted with conducting on-site examinations of seed varieties, reviewing results from field trials and formulating recommendations for the approval or rejection of different seed varieties.

The meeting was chaired by Punjab’s Agriculture and Livestock Minister, Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani and participated by the MD of the Punjab Seed Council, Shanul Haq and others. The PSC MD informed the minister about the recent developments concerning the council’s operational structure.

Haq revealed that a sub-committee of agricultural experts, which was dissolved in the previous (58th) meeting, would be reconstituted to provide technical assistance to the council.

The Punjab minister emphasised the need to revitalise and empower the Punjab Seed Council. He directed representatives from seed companies, agricultural associations, and key officials from the Punjab Agriculture Commission, Ministry of Food and Security, and the Federal Government’s Variety Evaluation Cell to collaborate on drafting proposals for seed approval.

He stressed that the board should prioritise these proposals and ensure that the agenda of the sub-committee is only considered once expert recommendations are addressed. The minister underscored the government’s commitment to providing farmers with high-quality and genuine seeds, aiming to eliminate issues with counterfeit and adulterated seeds while enhancing crop yields.

Punjab Agriculture Secretary Iftikhar Ali Sahoo supported the minister’s stance, calling for an overhaul in the seed approval system in Punjab. He highlighted the vital role of the private sector in the seed industry and warned against policies that could hinder agricultural progress.

The meeting was attended by Deputy MD of the Punjab Seed Council Shamshad Waraich, Consultant of the Punjab Agriculture Department Dr Anjum Ali, Director General of Agricultural Information Punjab Naveed Ismat Kahlon, Director General of Agriculture Extension Chaudhry Abdul Hameed, and various council members and observers.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024