Faraz inaugurates ‘hemp harvest’ in Rawalpindi

Seeds for current crop were obtained from K-P, Balochistan, G-B

ISLAMABAD:

Federal Minister for Science and Technology Shibli Faraz inaugurated a hemp harvest in Rawalpindi on Thursday.

Hemp is a strain of cannabis that is being grown under government control.

Speaking on the occasion, Faraz said negative propaganda is being staged against the cultivation of cannabis but the government would not pay heed to it.

The crop was cultivated on an area of one acre and was completed in three months.

The science minister further said the government wants to sponsor projects aimed at science and technology, adding that no industry can go ahead without a policy and law.

The inauguration took place in the Rawat area of Rawalpindi. Faraz had also inaugurated cultivation of the hemp crop in August. It was cultivated in a one-acre area.

The most expensive part of cannabis is its seed. The seeds for the current crop were obtained from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Dispelling the impression that hemp is misused, Faraz said hemp is also used in medicine, while the fibre of the hemp has a vast use in industries.

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“Hemp can also greatly influence import and export. The products that are made of hemp are more profitable than the hemp itself,” he said. “Hemp-made products can give profit up to ten times the original drug.”

The federal minister further said the prime minister had run a campaign to grow olive in the country and now we are seeing that its production has also started.

Earlier we used to see olive oil being imported, he said, adding that the current government wants to sponsor such projects.

Urging on the formulation of policies in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture, FBR, Ministry of Health and other stakeholders, Faraz pointed out that no industry could run if policies and laws are not formulated.

He highlighted that the government wants to see the development of the country and the empowerment of the economy.

Faraz concluded that the turnover of hemp was very fast which implied that it can generate good revenue for the country.

The government will also work for licensing and NOC for hemp, he said, urging people not to give any ear to negative propaganda. “With the cultivation of hemp, farmers will now have a variety of options for crops.”