Daily Times

Chairman Pakistan Hi Tech Hybrid Seed Association(PHHSA) Shahzad Ali Malik on Sunday said that Chinese breeding technology helping Pak farmers to easily cultivate high-yield, disease resistant new rice varieties for exports. Talking to a delegation of progressive farmers led by Shafique Ur Rehman here today, he said Chinese enterprises and research institutes that evolved new varieties of seeds and introduced excellent cultivation techniques helping farmers which boosted rice production in Pakistan and exports to China.

He said 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 number one technology provider ‘Yuan Longping’ high tech Agriculture Company. Shahzad Ali Malik, who is also founder chairman Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) disclosed that China during first quarter of current fiscal year, under bilateral trade, imported from Pakistan more than 466,617 tonnes of different types of rice increasing 9.34pc by volume and $175,99 million by worth.

He said broken rice commodity increased 41.70pc by worth crossing $57.69 million. He said both countries have close cooperation in the agriculture sector which was showing positive results especially in high yielding rice varieties. He said 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 hand to government for boosting agricultural production and meeting ever increasing food staples needs of population.