Govt seeks Chinese, US help on cotton seeds

Committee formed for coordination among researchers to hold weekly meetings

LAHORE:

Punjab government has decided to collaborate with agriculture researchers from China and the US to develop new seeds for cotton and other crops besides strengthening legislation to curb substandard seeds.

The decision was made in a three-hour meeting jointly chaired by Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar and Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar at Governor House on Thursday. Federal Minister for Food Fakhr Imam, provincial ministers, Punjab chief secretary and representatives of the private sector also attended the meeting.

The participants discussed problems related to cotton seeds at length and proposed strict punishment to those who produced substandard seeds. It was decided that noted researchers from the US and China would be enlisted for collaboration with local experts to improve research quality.

The meeting decided to constitute a 10-member committee, headed by Punjab Minister Hussain Jahanian Gardezi, for coordination among researchers for promotion of quality research. The committee will meet every week and consult the governor and chief minister every fortnight to keep them updated about developments and take guidance on future strategy.

It was also decided that the government will take the private sector on board for promotion of research and development of quality cotton seed. A separate coordination committee of the federal government and officers concerned of Punjab will also be constituted.

Addressing the participants, Chief Minister Buzdar said the provincial government would use all available resources for development of new cotton seeds. Federal Minister Fakhr Imam said it was an important step of the provincial government to initiate joint efforts for development of new seeds.

Efforts should be made to produce more cotton in Pakistan than in India. Now that a committee of officers of the federal and Punjab governments has been formed, the matter will be expedited.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 20^th, 2020.