Chinese breeding technology helping Pakistani farmers cultivate high-yield new rice varieties: PHHSA chief

Gwadar Pro

Islamabad: Chairman of Pakistan Hi Tech Hybrid Seed Association (PHHSA) Shahzad Ali Malik said this week that Chinese breeding technology helps Pakistani farmers easily cultivate high-yield, disease-resistant new rice varieties for exports.

Talking to a delegation of progressive farmers led by Shafiqueur Rehman here, he mentioned that Chinese enterprises and research institutes with new varieties of seeds and excellent cultivation techniques helped Pakistani farmers boost rice production in Pakistan and its exports to China.

He maintained that the guard agricultural research and services was the first in the country which brought hybrid rice technology from China to Pakistan in 1999 through a collaboration agreement with a technology provider ‘Yuan Longping’ high tech Agriculture Company.

Shahzad Ali Malik, who is also the founder and chairman of Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) disclosed that China during the first quarter of the current fiscal year imported more than 466,617 tonnes of different types of rice from Pakistan, increasing 9.34% by volume and $175,99 million by worth. He remarked that broken rice exports increased 41.70% by worth crossing $ 57.69 million.

He said the two countries have close cooperation in the agriculture sector which showed positive results especially in high yielding rice varieties.

He noted that PHHSA was the only one in private sector which was conducting ultra modern research in evolving hi tech hybrid seeds in Pakistan with a sole objective of extending helping hands to government for boosting agricultural production and meeting ever increasing food staples needs of population.