'Pakistan hasn't produced a single seed in decade and a half'

Boosting yields: LCCI chief urges focus on R&D

LAHORE:

Research and development require a lot of resources and time to develop something new and efficient.

Pakistan has not produced a single seed since the last almost 15 years and as a result, our per-acre yield is far lower than our neighbours, said Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) President Irfan Iqbal Sheikh. Addressing the launch of two research reports titled ‘Roadmap for Enhancing Rice Exports of Pakistan and ‘Halal Meat a Growing Sector in Pakistan’, he said that we have particularly focused on finding ways to address supply chain issues of the rice sector and encouraging exporters to concentrate on value addition and branding of rice.

He added that in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak, we need to take innovative steps to overcome the challenges posing serious threats to the overall export sector of Pakistan. He demanded the government to pave way for the registration of hybrid seed producers instead of creating hurdles in their way.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 25^th, 2020.

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