Pakistan has become self-sufficient in major food commodities like rice, wheat and corn but the acute shortage of edible oil is still a serious problem. Due to rapid population growth, the demand for it has been steadily increasing.
According to the Federal Bureau of Statistics,over 0.34 million tons of edible oil was imported during the first three months of 2003-04, signifying an increase of over 12 per cent, over the corresponding period of the previous year.
The import bill which was Rs2.3 billion in 1979-80, has gone up to Rs40.05 billion in 1998-99. This is almost 10 per cent of the total import bill. Edible oil being the second most important single item on the import list; huge foreign exchange is spent on its import.
In Pakistan, edible oil is extracted from conventional and non-conventional oilseeds. Among the conventional seeds, cotton, mustard, rapeseed, groundnut, sesame, etc. are the main ones which are grown traditionally in the country.
Non-conventional crops comprise sunflower, soybean and safflower, which were introduced in mid-1960s during the green revolution. In pursuit of achieving self-sufficiency the government launched various promotional programmes for oilseed crops especially for non-conventional ones.
The government started a seven-year national oilseed development project [NODP] for the promotion of non-conventional crops. Under this programme in 1996, an exotic species of oilseed crop known as ‘canola’ (Brassica napus) was introduced in Sindh claiming to bring yellow revolution because the crop has yellow flowers.
The NODP cultivated canola on an area of about 40,000 acres against the target of l00,000 acres, both in cotton and rice-growing belt of upper Sindh.
However, in cotton growing belt, canola failed to compete with wheat crop. Besides, canola served as an alternate host of cotton whitefly.
So far, the fate of canola in the rice-belt, particularly as ‘Dobari crop’ has hopelessly failed. Canola crop in the entire rice belt viz, districts of Larkana, Shikarpur and Jacobabad came under rice grasshopper attack. It would be proper to mention that canola leaves being sweet soft and non-hairy is very much susceptible to grasshoppers.
In this way this ill-planned venture of the PODP failed badly. But no enquiry was initiated in this regard against anyone.
On the contrary, the NODP was again allowed to repeat the same venture but this time in the rice growing belt of the then Nasirabad Division of Balochistan which is known for grasshopper prown area.
During the 1998 Rabi season, canola was sown as dobari crop, on the recommendation of PODB, on 16,000 acres in districts of Jaffarabad, Dera Murad Jamali, and Jhal Magsi.
Since poor growers were reluctant to replace their traditional oil seed crops viz, raya, sarson, toria, and jambho with an unknown and exotic one which escape grasshopper damage when sown as dobari crop (crop sown on residual soil moisture left after paddy harvest),
The PODB supplied canola seed on deffered payment still awaited as per departmental sources.
Reportedly total quantity of canola seeds supplied to the growers on loan was 36 tons of which 31 tons were local grown in Punjab and 5 tons were imported seeds.
The local variety was given at the rate of Rs75.00 per kg where as imported varieties (Dunkil and Rinbow) Rsl00per kg. Accordingly canola seeds worth Rs3,158,000 were given on loan to the growers for its cultivation as dobari crop in spite of the fact that the very same variety of canola had failed to give economic yield in the adjoining rice belt of upper Sindh just two years back in 1996.
Upon cultivation of canola as dobari crop after rice harvest as expected almost the entire cultivation in districts Jaffarabad, Dera Murad Jamali and Jhal Magsi came under rice grasshoppers attack.
As a matter of fact, in large area particularly in Usta Mohammad Tesil of Jaffarabd not only the canola but the standing jowar crop (sorghum) was wiped out by the swarming population of rice grasshoppers. Besides, canola also acted as a bridge crop between Kharif (rice) and Rabi (wheat) allowing grasshoppers to inflict severe damage to the early sown wheat crop.
Gravity of the situation created following canola cultivation in grasshopper prone area of Balochistan could be gauged from the fact that to contain the invasion of this menace on wheat crop technical and material help of the federal department of plant protection had to be sought by the agriculture department of Balochistan.
If the total loss (excluding damage incurred to wheat crop and campaign launched by the plant protection department, government of Pakistan,to contain the onslaught of grasshoppers) following the injudicious venture of PODB is taken into account, including the yield loss of local varieties of oilseed crops due to its non-cultivation may total up over Rs50 million.
But unfortunately this time again, because of the reason best known to the quarter concerned, technical blunders of the PODB was ignored.
As per news paper report (Dawn September 7, 2003) the Pakistan Oilseed Development Board (PODB) has announced an action plan for cultivation of canola in Sindh during the Rabi 2003-2004 season.
The Thatta district has been given a target of 35,000 acres, Sukkur 4,000 acres, and Larkana 65,000 acres. Besides, cultivation of canola has also been planned in rice belt of Balochistan during Rabi 2003-04 season on about 15,000 acres in district Jaffarabad, Bolan, Jhal Magsi, and Dera Murad Jamali as per agriculture department source.
The PODB has supplied 10 tons of canola seeds to each district mentioned above probably free of cost.
Suggestions: According to the survey undertaken by this scribe during the second week of October 2003 the standing paddy crop, both in Balochistan and upper Sindh harbours significant population of rice grasshoppers in majority areas. Since canola sown as a dobari crop has been found vulnerable to grasshoppers growing canola in rice belt may not be advisable.
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