MULTAN, Jan 11: Dr Zahoor Ahmed Baloch has been appointed vice-president of the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC) in place of Dr Ibad Badar Siddiqui after his retirement.

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has notified Dr Baloch’s appointment as PCCC vice-president. Dr Baloch, who was earlier serving as research director at PCCC, joined the committee in 1972 as assistant cotton botanist at Cotton Research Station, Thatta. He went to Germany for a postgraduate diploma in 1974 and did his PhD in cotton breeding from Turkey.

Dr Baloch was given the charge of Central Cotton Research Institute in Sakrand, where he led research scientists in planning and monitoring of cotton research trials in Sindh. As research director, he coordinated with all provincial as well as federal cotton research institutions for cotton research trials throughout the country under the National Coordination Varietals Trial Programme.

He is providing research scientists a chance to publish their research findings in quarterly journal The Pakistan Cottons. He has more than 30 national and international publications to his credit. He remained active for the promotion of cotton cultivation in Balochistan and is the acting project director of ‘Cotton cultivation in Mirani Dam command area project’.

It was the result of his efforts that cotton production in Balochistan increased to around 100,000 bales. He has initiated trials for cultivation of organic cotton in various ecological zones of Balochistan.