ISLAMABAD, Aug 4: The government has established the Rice Research and Development Company (RRDC) for improving the quality and development of various varieties.

According to the press release issued on Saturday Chairman Basmati Growers Association Chaudhry Hamid Malhi said the government had not privatised agriculture research but only given the responsibility of decision making to the stakeholders so that agriculture research did not suffer due to the existing procedural delays.

He said the government had given a free hand to the stakeholders to make progress in agriculture research from Saturday onward. This effort will go a long way in promoting demand driven research with benefits to scientists and the stakeholders, he added.

During the first meeting of the RRDC, the board unanimously elected the Chaudhry Hamid Malhi as the chairman of the board. The members of the board nominated by the government were also inducted. — Our reporter