Pulses Cultivation Can Save Huge Foreign Exchange By Trimming Import Bill: Dr Ishtiaq Hassan

Adaptive Research (Farm & Training) Punjab Director General Dr. Ishtiaq Hassan has said that pulses cultivation can help in saving huge foreign exchange spent on the import of these commodities

FAISALABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Aug, 2025) Adaptive Research (Farm & Training) Punjab Director General Dr. Ishtiaq Hassan has said that pulses cultivation can help in saving huge foreign exchange spent on the import of these commodities.

Presiding over a meeting of the Chickpea and Lentil Production Plan 2025–26 at Ayub Agricultural Research Institute (AARI) Faisalabad here on Thursday, he highlighted that Pakistan spends over Rs.110 billion every year on the import of pulses from Australia, Africa and other countries and this financial burden could be reduced significantly if indigenous production of the pulses is enhanced through modern research-based farming practices.

In the wake of Pakistan’s fragile economic conditions, it has become imperative to concentrate on the promotion of pulses cultivation which would help in saving precious foreign exchange spent annually on lentil imports, he added.

He said that agri scientists of AARI and Arid Zone Research Institute Bhakkar have developed new lentil and chickpea varieties which have the potential to give maximum production in addition to resisting the attack of various insects and diseases in a batter way.

However, adoption of modern production technologies is imperative to enhance per acre yield by reducing input cost at maximum extent, he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Scientist Pulses Department AARI Dr. Khalid Hussain said that chickpea and lentil are an integral part of our daily diet in Pakistan due to its immense nutritional value. He said that the pulses not only contain more than 20 percent protein but are also rich in iron and dietary fiber and serve as an affordable substitute for meat.

Principal Scientist Dr. Zia Chishti highlighted the environmental benefits of pulse crops and explained that being legumes, their roots harbor nitrogen-fixing bacteria that enrich soil fertility even after harvesting. Thus, lentil and chickpea cultivation not only fulfills dietary needs but also supports sustainable agriculture by rejuvenating the soil, he added.

Director Social Sciences Research Institute PARC Faisalabad Dr. Arshad Bashir briefed participants on the modern production technologies developed by agricultural scientists to improve pulses yields.

He said that several high-yielding varieties of chickpea and lentil have been introduced and the Government of Pakistan has allocated substantial funds for promoting pulse cultivation in Chakwal, Attock, Balochistan and Sindh.

Senior Scientist Arid Zone Research Institute Bhakkar Dr Niaz Hussain informed the forum that the Arid Zone Research Institute Bhakkar has successfully provided pre-basic seed of high-yielding local and Kabuli gram varieties to Punjab Seed Corporation, private seed companies and progressive farmers, enabling quality seed multiplication at scale. Cultivation of these improved varieties in irrigated regions of Punjab could bring a considerable rise in national production, he added.

The agri scientists also underlined the potential of inter-cropping pulses with sugarcane crops particularly in irrigated areas of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan.

They said that timely weed control and proper management practices could ensure substantial yield gains while pulse crops generally face fewer pest and disease attacks during spring cultivation.

The meeting also approved amendments in the production plan for 2025-26 incorporating updated research findings on improved varieties, optimal sowing times, suitable climates, seed rates, land preparation, fertilizer and water use, thinning, hoeing, weed eradication and pest and disease control.

Dr. Maria Aslam and Maria Ghaffar from National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE) Faisalabad, Dr. Abid Niaz Principal Scientist Soil Bacteriology AARI Faisalabad, Javed Iqbal Research Officer Adaptive Research Lahore, Ejaz Ahmed Director Crop Reporting Services Faisalabad along with senior and principal scientists including Muhammad Aamir Ameen, Dr. Imran Nadeem, Ali Aziz, Dr. Muhammad Umar Shahbaz, Dr. Ali Zohaib, Dr. Faiza Tabassum, Dr. Saima Arif, Dr. Asiya, Deputy Director Agriculture Pest Warning Faisalabad Dr. Hafiz Abdul Haseeb and Deputy Director Agriculture Information Faisalabad Muhammad Ishaq Lashari were also present in the meeting.