Agriculture: 80 crop varieties approved in 4 years

FAISALABAD: The provincial government has approved 80 new varieties of crops in four years, an Agriculture Department spokesman said on Thursday. Among these, he said, 27 were of cotton, 11 of wheat and 42 of rice, sugarcane, pulses and crops used for cattle fodder. He said compared to other varieties of the same crops, the newly-approved varieties were more disease-resistant and gave improved yields. The spokesman urged farmers to use the new varieties to improve crop production.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 24^th, 2012.