Planning for the future: Quality seed key to boost crop output

Experts call for evolving better seeds for all major crops

FAISALABAD: Owing to inferior seed quality, not only the overall agrarian economy of Pakistan but also the growers are suffering irreparable losses, seed experts concluded on Tuesday.

The conclusion was drawn at the 2nd Pakistan Seed Congress organised by the Centre for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security which ended at the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (UAF).

Renowned seed scientists from various universities of the world, the Seed Council of Pakistan and leading research institutions urged the breeders to ensure the availability of quality seeds of all the crops for boosting agricultural produce and to meet food security challenges.

At the concluding session of the two-day congress titled Seed Security for Sustainable Agriculture, the experts asserted that scientists should evolve varieties of all agricultural produce suited to local environmental conditions of Pakistan with specific genetic material. Otherwise, the farmers would continue to pay enormous amounts to the foreign seed producers.

The experts pointed out that several countries had monopolised agricultural produce by selling quality seeds worldwide for the consumption of the agrarian-based countries at high prices. If producing better quality seeds locally is not prioritised, the country will not be able to compete in the international markets, especially cotton fabrics.

UAF Vice-Chancellor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said agricultural productivity of major crops had been stagnant for the past many years.

He claimed the varsity introduced seed technology as a major in degree programmes and a seed centre was set up to carry out research and to preserve germ cells. “As you sow, so shall you reap. Quality seed is prerequisite to get good agricultural productivity,” he added.

Dr Iqrar said the farming community had been facing immense problems in finding quality seeds. The government was taking steps to address the problems of the farming community and introduced the Seed Act and Breeder Bill for the purpose.

Pakistan Seed Promotion Alliance President Dr Shakeel Ahmad Khan said the agriculture sector was facing daunting challenges of climate change and crop varieties.  The seed act, he said, was the hallmark step to address the issues at the national level as there was a dire need to inform the masses about the law.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 23^rd, 2016.