The Punjab Agriculture Department should focus on developing varieties of cotton and other crops that have inherent ability to bear more heat and give high yield by use of minimal water.
Punjab Agriculture Minister Naeem Akhtar Khan Bhaba said this at the 50th review meeting of the Punjab Seed Council (PSC) held here on Friday. The Minister said that revolution in the agriculture sector is possible only because of modern agricultural research. "At present, the agriculture sector is contributing 60 to 70% of exports nationwide therefore more work is required on modern basis for its development. We are facing climate change in country and passing through age of transition as after some years some crops varieties may extinct due to on-going climate transformation," the Minister added.
The meeting was attended by Dr Ghazanfer Ali, Additional Secretary Agriculture (Planning), Dr Abid Mehmood, Director General Agriculture (Research), and Zafaryaab Haider, Director General Agriculture (Ext & AR) along with high officials of Punjab Seed Council and plant breeders.
On this occasion, the Minister for Agriculture briefed that 25 institutions under the banner of Ayub Agriculture Research Institute are engaged in research to update farmers about modern agricultural research and latest production technologies. The AARI has discovered more than 500 new varieties of fruits, vegetables and agriculture commodities for the farming community.