Agriculture Scientists Urged To Develop Weather Resilient Maize Seed

Punjab Minister for Baitul Maal and Social Welfare Muhammad Ajmal Cheema Wednesday urged the agricultural scientists to develop weather resilient seed of maize, besides working on narrow down seed import.

FAISALABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Nov, 2018 ) :Punjab Minister for Baitul Maal and Social Welfare Muhammad Ajmal Cheema Wednesday urged the agricultural scientists to develop weather resilient seed of maize, besides working on narrow down seed import.

He said this while addressing the experts at an international colloquium on "Challenges and opportunities of maize production" organised by Maize Research Group, Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF).

Chairing the inaugural session, he said the agriculture sector had been facing numerous problems, including water scarcity, climate change and low productivity as compared to developed nations.

He said the government was taking tremendous steps, whereas fruitful efforts were underway not only for the uplift of agricultural sector but also to alleviate poverty.

Steps were afoot to address issues of the farming community, he added.

UAF Acting Vice Chancellor Dr Ashfaq Ahmad Maan said that more than 90 per cent of total maize production came from the two provinces, including Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said that nutritional quality improvement was also imperative to address the malnutrition issue.

Dean Faculty of Agriculture Dr Asif Tanveer said that in the country, during the year 2017-18, maize crop was cultivated on an area of 1.229 million hectares and witnessed the decline of 8.8 per cent over last year cultivated area of 1.348 million hectares.

Muhammad Asim form Crop Life Pakistan, Qiang Zhao from Xingjian Agriculture University China, Plant Breeding Genetic Chairman Dr Hafeez Sadaqat, Assistant Professor Dr Malik Muhammad Aslam and other notables also spoke.