HYDERABAD, Sept 21: French Ambassador to Pakistan Regis De Belenet has said that farmers should think about cultivating beet in place of the high-delta crop of sugarcane.

He said that in France sugar beet was being cultivated on a large-scale for producing sugar.

The ambassador along with French consul general in Karachi, Mr Pierre Seillan, held a meeting with farmers at the secretariat of the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture on Thursday.

A large number of farmers and office-bearers of the chamber and Sindh Abadgar Board attended the meeting.

Matters pertaining to the agriculture sector were discussed.

The ambassador sympathised with people affected by recent rains.

He said he would apprise his countrymen about widespread havoc wreaked by the rain.

Mr Belenet was presented a booklet on the water issue by SCA president Syed Qamaruzzaman Shah.

He said that mangoes and oranges had a great market in France and added that growers should get in touch with French fruit importers.

He said that French scientists were assisting the Faisalabad Agriculture University and the Punjab University in food technology and water conservation research.

He said that France could also help in livestock and veterinary sectors.

Qamaruzzaman Shah informed the ambassador about widespread devastation in the agriculture sector in Sindh due to unprecedented heavy rains.

He said that all crops including cotton, sugarcane, rice and vegetables had been completely destroyed.

He said that the growers had suffered losses of billions of rupees and thousands of people had been rendered shelter-less.

Syed Qamaruzzaman Shah said that international organisations should take notice of the havoc wreaked by the rains and help in the rehabilitation of the rain affected people.

Referring to world-famous French perfumes, the president of the chamber said that Sindh was in a position to supply raw material like roses and other flowers in abundance.

He suggested that France should supply sugar beet plants.

He said that like Faisalabad and Lahore universities, French scientists should also initiate water conservation research project at the Sindh Agriculture University in Tandojam.

The ambassador and the consul general were presented traditional Sindhi Ajrak and caps by Syed Qamaruzzaman Shah.