ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Agricultural Research Council has developed canola hybrid with good yield potential.

The council has started producing hybrid seeds on pilot scale, and decided to make available seeds to small farmers at low price.

During the current rabi season, PARC has planted canola hybrid seed on 70 acres at the National Agricultural Research Centre to supply seeds to small farmers for the next season.

PARC observed the ‘Canola Field Day’ on Wednesday, saying that it marketed 30 tonnes of canola hybrid seeds during the last two years.

PARC Chairman Dr Iftikhar Ahmad said that Pakistan is deficient to meet the domestic requirement of vegetable oil and imports about 75pc of its total requirement and imported 2.31 million tonnes of edible oil valued at Rs207.6bn during 2012-13.

PARC, in collaboration of provincial agricultural departments, was making efforts to increase local production of oilseeds by developing high yielding varieties and hybrids of oilseed crops, he said.

Dr Mohammad Amjad, National Coordinator (Oilseed Crops), explained that the canola field at NARC is purposed to share the knowledge regarding the development and promotion of canola varieties/hybrids, hybrid seed production, production technology, particularly harvesting threshing by combine harvesting and handling canola seed and its marketing.

He said that there is 10.8pc increase in area under rapeseed-mustard and 23pc increase in production during 2012-13 as compared to 2011-12, which shows an increasing trend in oilseed production in coming years.

He further stated that canola yield per acre can be increased with hybrid seeds and better crop management practices.

NARC Director-General Dr Mohammad Azeem Khan and NARC member plant sciences division, Dr Shahid Masood highlighted the importance of oilseed crops, and said rapeseed and mustard crops are the major contributor for edible oil production in the country. The share of rapeseed and mustard is about 23pc in edible oil production.

The area and production of these crops can be increased by developing and promoting canola hybrids in the country.