LAHORE, July 30: For attaining self-sufficiency in edible oils and increasing production of oilseeds through better varieties and hybrids, a Rs43 million five-year plan has been launched from this year.

Ayub Agriculture Research Institute Director (oil) Makhdoom Husain told Punjab Agriculture Minister Arshad Khan Lodhi at a project briefing. Under the project new sunflower and canola varieties, which were suitable in the local conditions, would be developed.

Mr Husain said the seed of these varieties would be provided to farmers at 50 to 60 per cent of the market price. In addition to that, he said, five demonstration plots at different places would be cultivated for farmers’ guidance.

He said presently the import of sunflower and canola seed as well as edible oil production was costing more than Rs14 billion, while edible oil worth Rs45 to Rs46 billion was being imported. “In other words, after the import of petroleum products, it was the second biggest import item costing about Rs60 billion annually,” he said.

It was informed that in Pakistan four oilseeds, including canola, sunflower, sesame and castor, were being cultivated, but local farmers were less inclined towards growing the first two crops. That was the reason for the import of canola and sunflower, he said.