ISLAMABAD, Sept 27: Pakistan will import edible oil amounting to Rs25 to Rs30 billion this year to meet the domestic requirements.

This was stated by the Chairman, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), Dr Badaruddin Soomro while presiding over a meeting on “oilseeds planning and development strategies to increase its area and production”.

The objective of this meeting was to make a strategy for promotion of sunflower and canola, where PARC, and provincial agricultural institutions including extension will collaborate with Pakistan Oilseed Development Board for strengthening the promotional campaign of PODB.

Dr Soomro said that Pakistan is deficient in the edible oil and expressed his great concern that the efforts made so far to enhance domestic production have not had any significant impact. In domestic production major share comes from cottonseed, contributing 75 per cent of local production while rapeseed, mustard and canola contribute 16 per cent, whereas sunflower, soybean, and corn contribute the remaining 10 per cent, he said.

He said it is the duty of the agricultural scientists to work hard for increasing the production of oil seed crops to curtail the import bill.

Speaking on technology transfer, the chairman said that PARC has introduced a new initiatives for an expeditious transfer of research based technologies and interventions with the objectives of breaking stagnation in yield of crops.

While speaking on PODB strategy which they adopted, he said no strategy or effort is successful unless it is linked with research; extension, provincial network and well planned targets are set to achieve the desired results.

He offered research support in term of resources, manpower available at Transfer Technology Institutes of PARC in the provinces for dissemination of information and new technologies, through print and electronic media where it is needed. He said that PARC will coordinate with its resources within its mandate.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Masood Amjad Rana, Commissioner Special Crops, Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, Director, Pakistan Oilseed Development Board (PODB), Director General, NARC, Projects in charges from Tandojam, Faisalabad, Balochistan, Peshawar and D.I.Khan, Director, BARI Chakwal, progressive farmers and other senior scientists of the PARC/NARC concerned to oilseed research and production.

Dr. Naazar Ali, CSO/ Coordinator oilseeds gave a detailed briefing on oilseeds planning and its future strategy. He informed that only 35 per cent of edible oil is being produced domestically.

He proposed different approaches to enhance oilseed production by resolving major constraints responsible for low production.

The plans presented by Ghulam Idris, Director, PODS were critically reviewed and strategy for launching canola and sunflower campaign for increasing oilseed production were stressed.

Progressive farmers who are involved in oilseed cultivation also attended the meeting and gave suggestion for improving oilseed production keeping in view their practical experience.