LAHORE: The Punjab Seed Corporation (PSC) and the Breeders of Maize and Millet Research Institute on Monday jointly launched first hybrid seed of maize, calling it “a big achievement that will not only help multiply yield, but also check monopoly of multinationals”.

Addressing the ceremony, Provincial Minister for Agriculture Dr Farrukh Javed said it was a great achievement, as the yield potential claimed by breeders concerned was highly promising and comparable to imported seed.

“Another important factor is price that will at least be three times less than that of the imported seed and substantially reduce the production cost of farmers,” he said.

Agriculture experts, especially breeders, would be encouraged with cash rewards and national awards to increase the yield of major and minor crops to ensure food security and meet requirements of the rapidly increasing population.

He also said implementing Vision 2025 of the chief minister, a large number of projects had been initiated to increase export of agriculture products by adopting value addition technology to meet the world market’s requirements, as per standards of the World Trade Organisation. He said the Punjab government had taken valuable initiatives to introduce various farmer-friendly policies to strengthen the national economy and ensure farmers’ prosperity.

Agriculture Secretary Rashid Mahmood said the government would soon implement a new seed act to curb seed mafia. It would also implement the amended Breeders Right Act to encourage hi-tech seed evolving initiatives of the Agriculture Research Scientists by paying reasonable royalty along with excellence awards in recognition of their efforts.

He said PSC must organise field day events on harvesting of the hybrid maize seed so that yielding potential of the seed could be shown to general farmers to strengthen their trust in the hi-tech seed evolved by agriculture research experts.

PSC Managing Director Khaqan Baber said: “We are working on a plan to make PSC the most profitable organisation.” The PSC required direct area of seed production farms to establish its own research and development base for producing hi-tech seeds by entering into joint ventures with national and international research institutes.

Published in Dawn February 24th , 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play