FAISALABAD, Jan 5: Scientists should make efforts to produce high-yielding disease-free seed of vegetables for the benefit of the farming community. This was stated by Ayub Agricultural Research Institute director-general Dr Mohammad Afzal while speaking to participants in a seminar on ‘Research achievement and activities of the Vegetable Research Institute’ here on Thursday.

He stressed the need for increasing the yield of garlic and ginger to make the country self-sufficient in vegetables. He also stressed the need for making maximum use of available resources to improve the quality of agricultural research.

Researcher Dr Abdul Rashid said preparation of hybrid seed of different vegetables had been started. He said Pakistan was exporting vegetables amounting to Rs2 billion whereas vegetables worth Rs1.68 billion were imported.

He said production technology of turmeric had been developed, and consequently the country was exporting the commodity whereas previously it was imported.

He elaborated the research achievements of the institute, adding off-season production technology of vegetables developed by the institute was gaining popularity among the farmers.