Agricultural production: Food minister focuses on resilient crop varieties

Says climate change and population increase threaten food security

FAISALABAD: Federal Minister for National Food Security Sikander Hayat Bosan on Wednesday said that climate change and the increasing population pose a serious threat to food security.

He was addressing the 1st Pakistan Seed Congress called ‘Seed for Food Security’ arranged at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF).

He stressed upon researchers and scientists to come up with resilient crop varieties, adding that the parliament had amended the Seed Act that will help fight the challenges of food security.

Bosan said that the government is also bringing the plant breeding bill to strengthen the agriculture sector in the country. “Steps are afoot to upgrade the seed sector in the country and to increase the agricultural productivity,” said Bosan. “Ensuring food security is the priority of government and all possible avenues are being explored for this purpose.”

UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that the agricultural productivity of major crops was had been stagnant for which academia, researchers, government and industry should step up their efforts to boost supply.

He said that the availability of quality seed was the problem for the farming community for which measures are needed.

Federal Seed Certification and Registration Director General Dr Shakeel Ahmad Khan said the seed act is a hallmark step to address the issues at the national level and there is a dire need to make the masses aware of the act.

Seed Association Chairman Bilal Ahmad called for modernising agricultural practices in Pakistan through responsible use of biotechnology.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 10^th,  2015.

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