Hybrid wheat expected to revolutionise agri sector
PHOTO: REUTERS
“We have submitted our hybrid wheat varieties to Pakistan’s government for approval,” said Guard Group CEO Malik Ali.
“Once we gain approval, we will start production of hybrid wheat in Pakistan in collaboration with Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences (BAAFS),” CEO of the agricultural giant said.
“We hope that like hybrid rice, hybrid wheat will also bring a revolution in the agriculture sector of Pakistan.”
Till now, five research stations have been established and field work has been carried out on high-yielding varieties that are tolerant to heat, drought and salinity.
“So far, we have finalised four hybrid wheat varieties and achieved about 40% increase in the yield of wheat that we breed.”
On hybrid agricultural varieties, the Guard Group has a successful model of its own to follow. The company is the largest producer of hybrid rice in Pakistan.
Since 2002, it has been working together with Yuan Longping High-tech Agriculture Company, a Chinese seed group named after the renowned pioneer researcher in hybrid rice Yuan Longping, for research, production and commercialisation of hybrid rice in Pakistan.
Now, the hybrid rice seeds have reached the international market.
“Pakistan has experienced a rice revolution with the hybrid technology from China as our companies are exporting rice to almost 48 countries around the world. Pakistan earns about $2.04 billion in foreign exchange from hybrid rice export,” shared Ali.
He hoped to apply the experience of hybrid rice to hybrid wheat. “Hopefully in next two years, we will bring about a revolution in wheat crop.”
Wheat is a staple food that has an important bearing on national food security. According to a report of China Pakistan Agricultural and Industrial Cooperation Platform (CPAIC), in 2020, the BAAFS-Guard experimental wheat base in Pakistan was greeted with a bumper harvest.
Compared with the best local wheat variety, Beijing hybrid wheat features 90% less seed sowing and 20% higher yield. This can help Pakistan save plentiful land for planting other agricultural products, which is of great significance to food security in Pakistan.
“We choose to cooperate with China because it is a leading country in the world in terms of agricultural production and technology,” Ali said.
“Besides, the second phase of CPEC with agriculture sector as one of its focuses will provide more opportunities in joint research and bilateral trade of agri products.”
The article originally appeared on the China Economic Net
Published in The Express Tribune, March 1st, 2022.
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