ISLAMABAD: Care­ta­ker Minister for National Food Security and Resea­rch Dr Kausar Abdullah Malik has emphasised the need for integrating soybean cultivation into the agricultural landscape of the country while ensuring its ecological compatibility.

Speaking at the ‘Natio­nal Workshop on Soybean Production in Pakistan’ here on Monday, Dr Abd­ullah called for ensuring that soybean production is economically feasible.

The workshop was orga­nised by the Pakistan Ag­­ricultural Research Cou­ncil (PARC) in collaboration with Food and Agri­culture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations.

The minister also emp­hasised the significant linkages between soybean production and its stakeholders like poultry and solvent industry, which heavily relies on soybean as a crucial ingredient.

National Food Security and Research Secretary Mohammad Mahmood said PARC and University of Faisalabad should prepare a soybean-2030 plan to achieve self-sufficiency in its production in the country.

The provinces should also be approached regar­ding the production of soybean and the ministry will play its role in this regard, he said.

PARC Chairman Dr Ghulam Mohammad Ali said all the resources are there to materialise the plan and there is a need to fully harness the available resources. This initiative holds immense importan­­ce as it has the potential to save billions of dollars spent on importing soybeans, he said.

Published in Dawn, December 19th, 2023