Staff Reporter Islamabad
Pakistani researchers are collaborating with Chinese scientists to introduce hybrid basmati rice varieties with the same traits, a top Pakistani businessperson said.
Shahzad Ali Malik, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Guard Agri and Guard Group of Companies informed that the Chinese scientists were helping Pakistani counterparts’ out of the way’ boosting agricultural production.
“Guard is the pioneer in introducing hybrid coarse rice. Our researchers started working in collaboration with the Chinese scientists to introduce hybrid basmati varieties with the same traits, as basmati is known for better per acre yield.
We developed one seed after seven years of research and the same was put on trial a year ago,” he remarked in a statement.
On completion of a two-year field trial, he added, “the results will be placed before the variety evaluation committee (VEC) working under the Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) for getting recommendations for the commercial marketing of the hybrid basmati seed.”
Malik mentioned that in just two years after completion of the process, the hybrid seed would be made available to the growers for cultivation.
