FAISALABAD, April 22: Agriculture scientists at a conference here on Tuesday stressed the need for concerted efforts to cope with the prevailing food crisis.

Speaking at the four-day conference organised by the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF), acting vice-chancellor Dr Muhammad Ashfaq said the current era, which was full of challenges to humanity, necessitated integration of all disciplines of plant biology with exclusive and feasible ideas. He said soil, environment and human health were suffering from hazards of pesticide residuals.

Presenting a paper on tea production, Hazara University’s Sahib Gul said tea was second largest beverage after water and Pakistan used to spend Rs3,203 million on its import every year.

He said currently per capita tea consumption in Pakistan was more than one kilogram. He said Pakistan’s northern areas had a tremendous potential for tea cultivation and the people concerned should consider this region for tea production.

Speaker Inamullah said rice was second largest human food after wheat. He said an average rice production was about 50 tons/ha and Pakistan’s Super Basmati variety had a remarkable potential. He said Pakistan should obtain a patent for its rice varieties to get maximum benefits of the World Trade Organisation.

Ms AK Alvi stressed the need for DNA-based genetic variation for red rot resistance in sugarcane, adding that about 29 to 38 percent sugarcane production was badly affected by this disease. She said red rot was not a local disease, as it had hit sugarcane in the US, India, China and Taiwan in the past.

Pakistan Botanical Society President Dr Ashraf said integrated and result-oriented approach towards plant sciences would be the way forward.

He said according to the WHO about 25 percent of modern drugs in the US had been derived from plants, adding that this potential area needed to be focused by plant scientists in the region.

Plant scientists from Australia, Iran, Egypt, Turkey, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Tunisia and Uzbekistan are participating in the conference, which will continue till April 24.