Though Pakistan holds a spot in the top 10 agricultural universities of the world, experts feel it could do even better if it got rid of pests which munch on goods to be exported, rendering them inedible.
Some of them spoke about the issue at a seminar organised jointly on Sunday by Karachi University’s biochemistry, food sciences and technology, and botany departments.
All of the experts, including Mubarak Ahmed, the director general of the Pakistan Agriculture Research Council’s South Zone Centre, had reached one conclusion - pests and diseases are the main reason the country’s products are rejected in the international market.
Dr Athar Tarique said a new disease was affecting citrus fruit in other countries and growers in Pakistan should take precautionary measures.
The chairperson of the institution’s biotechnology department, Dr Mustafa Kamal, said pest attacks on plants could be detected at an early stage with the help of molecular biology and this would help increase the exports of mango and grapefruit.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 10th, 2012.
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