China introduces new type of hybrid rice in Pakistan
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ISLAMABAD - A group of Chinese hybrid rice experts would arrive in Pakistan during next month (September) to impart training to Pakistani scientists for the promotion and development of hybrid seed verities across the crop sowing areas of the country to boost local output.
In first phase a batch of 40 scientists selected all across the country would be trained to promote and develop the hybrid rice production technology in the country, said Member Plant Science of the Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) Dr Muhammad Yousuf.
Talking to APP here on Thursday, he said that Pakistan and Chinese Government had signed a memorandum of understanding for the promotion of hybrid rice verities in Pakistan as well as capacity building of local scientists in field of hybrid rice.
Under the agreement, he said that 28 scientists all across the country were selected for the training program and they had completed their training form China and now they were extending their services for the promotion and development of hybrid rice seed in the country.
He said that hybrid rice cultivation across the crop sowing areas during current season had registered significant increase and it is expected that the trend of hybrid rice seed would gain momentum during the next season.
“Hybrid rice had been cultivated over 800,000 hectares of land across the crop producing areas of the country, which was a healthy trend and give boost to the local output of the rice”, he added.
The area under hybrid rice production was gradually increasing and it was phasing-out the trend of conventional seed, adding that it would help in boosting the local output that would also result in enhancing the exports and fetch more foreign exchange for economic development.
Meanwhile, he said that rice had been cultivated over approximately 2.8 million hectares of land to produce about 7.4 million tons of the above mentioned commodities. He said that out of the total produces, 60 percent was consumed locally, where as 40 percent was exported.
It is worth mentioning here that country earned US$ 2.073 billion by exporting about 4.106 million tons of rice during 12 months of last financial year as compared the exports of 3.523 million tons valuing US$ 1.606 billion of the corresponding period of last years.
During the period from July-June, 2017-18, about 520,759 metric tons of basmati rice worth US$ 540.231 million were exported as against 496,263 metric tons valuing US$ 453.441 million of same period of last year, showing an increase of 19.14 percent growth. - APP
