Staff Reporter
Islamabad
PATCO is an agri-business company of PARC to promote its R&D products and services and in connection with its agri-business growth PATCO-PARC signed two agreements with two different business companies i.e. ‘Cukoos’ and ‘Farm Friends’ on 18 November 2020 at NARC. Chairman PARC Dr. Muhammad Azeem Khan and other high officials of both parties attended the signing ceremony.
Dr. Muhammad Amjad, Director Farm Friends, Dr. Masroor ul Hassan Tipu and Managing Partner Cuckoos, Mr. Anwaar Yahya were the signatories on behalf of their respective companies.
In another Ceremony, PARC announced that banana is cultivated over an area of 80,000 acres in Pakistan and as per FAO Statistics it’s per acre yield is less than India and China, which produces more than 10 tons per acre. The reasons behind this low yield are unavailability of high yielding banana varieties and certified disease free planting materials. Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) has developed two banana varieties (NIGAB-1 and NIGAB-2) which have been approved for commercial cultivation by Sindh Seed Council in its 34th meeting on 17 November 2020 in Sindh Assembly building under the Chairmanship of Minister of Agriculture and Supplies Mr. Ismail Rahu, who appreciated the efforts of PARC to increase banana production in the country. These are first ever banana varieties registered in the history of country. These varieties are high yielding and have more shelf life which is a key requirement for export.
Chairman PARC Dr. Muhammad Azeem Khan while acclaiming the efforts of PSO NIGAB, NARC, Dr. Aish Muhammad and his team said that cultivation of these banana varieties will boost banana production that will lead.