KARACHI, Sept 13: Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan has asked scientists and researchers to evolve new high-yielding cotton varieties for achieving 1,060-kg per hectare production target by 2015.
Chairing the 76th meeting of Pakistan Central Cotton Committee here on Thursday, the minister noted that the country’s average cotton yield had been stagnant for the last several years due to vagaries of weather, absence of virus-resistant varieties, emergence of new pests like mealybug and limited adoption of scientific cultivation methods.
“This is a responsibility of cotton researchers and development organisations, and I would advise the PCCC to take practical measures in collaboration with the provincial agriculture departments and other concerned establishments to raise cotton yield to match with the levels of Australia, China, Greece, Turkey and Syria”, he added.
The minister said that use of bio-technology for raising acreage and saving crop losses were the present day’s requirements.
He said that his ministry, in consultation with the relevant stakeholders, had finalised a strategy to regulate release of genetically modified (GM) plant varieties including BT cotton.
The minister said that all GM plant varieties were required to get environment clearance from the Ministry of Environment under Bio-safety Rule 2005 and Bio-safety Guidelines 2005.
He noted that organic cotton production was yet another important area which needed more attention, particularly in Balochistan.
He advised the PCCC to
come up with the package of
varieties and the technology
for this purpose.
He appreciated PCCC for attaining a financial viability and hoped that its new varieties would significantly contribute to higher output of cotton.
Earlier, while chairing the meeting regarding marketing, processing and packaging of fruit and vegetable, the minister informed the participants that the prime minister had directed for the establishment of three new markets equipped of international standards.
The minister said that a task force would be formed to make Pakistan fruits and vegetables internationally marketable.
The exporters informed the minister that 30 per cent fruits and vegetables were wasted due to over-stuffing and improper packaging.
Such losses could have been minimised by introducing proper packaging methods.—APP
