Increase In Oil-seed Production Need Of Hour: Dr Ishtiaq

Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published May 29, 2023 | 08:44 PM

Additional Director General Agriculture (Farm and Training) Dr. Ishtiaq Hasan said that increase in oil seed production was need of the hour as Pakistan was spending billions of rupees on import of edible oil to cater to its domestic needs

FAISALABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th May, 2023 ) :Additional Director General Agriculture (Farm and Training) Dr. Ishtiaq Hasan said that increase in oil seed production was need of the hour as Pakistan was spending billions of rupees on import of edible oil to cater to its domestic needs.

Addressing a meeting at Ayub Agricultural Research Institute (AARI) here on Monday, he said that agri scientists should accelerate their efforts for introducing high-yield oil-seed crops to make Pakistan self-reliant in edible oil and other food items.

He said that Pakistan had spent Rs.300 billion on import of edible oil last year. Therefore, the scientists focus on mustard, raya and canola crops to increase their production.

He said that last year 1.077 million acres of land was brought under cultivation of oil-seed crops in Pakistan but their production remained insufficient to cater to edible oil requirements of burgeoning population of the country.

He said that government was also concentrating to promote oil-seed corps and in this connection subsidy was also being offered. However, the scientists should invent new technology and staff of agriculture department should promote it at farm level in addition to persuading the growers for its use so that maximum production could be obtained from oil-seed crops including mustard, raya and canola.

Later, the meeting after thorough discussion and some amendments approved a project of Production of Oil-seed crops for 2023-24.

Chief Scientist AARI Dr. Ghulam Sarwar, consultant of Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI) Dr Khalid Shauq, scientists of various departments of Ayub Research, field staff of agriculture (extension & adaptive research) department and others were also present in the meeting.