Scaling Up Availability Of Quality Seed Imperative To Address Food Security Concerns: Experts

Muhammad Irfan Published September 19, 2025 | 08:00 PM

FAISALABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Sep, 2025) The agricultural experts said on Friday that scaling up availability of quality seed along with academic-industry linkages was imperative to bridge gap between demand of certified seed and its supply as it has exceeded 50 per cent and causing lowering yields and aggravating food security concerns.

Chairing the seed stakeholders’ meeting at Syndicate Room of University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF), Prof Dr Zulfiqar Ali UAF Vice Chancellor said that certified seeds increase crop yields, disease resistance and agricultural production.

It delivers higher-quality crops, improving food security and farmer incomes but despite their value, many farmers are unable to apply certified seeds, he added.

He said that UAF had also introduced new varieties of heat-tolerant wheat, durum-wheat, soybeans, brassica, okra, maize, industrial hemp, chickpea, quinoa, sorghum, mango, citrus, cotton and others.

Now the university has taken initiative to maximize the production of seed and market it under academic-industry linkages, he added.

Scientific Director Dr Muhammad Tehseen Azhar said that under Seed Lab, the university has mapped out a plan of the propagation of quality seed for better yield results. Under the meeting, stakeholders from industry are called to discuss the business model, he added.

Director Research Prof Dr Imran Arshad said that the seed is a base of the production and if we compromise on seed quality, we will definitely comprise on food security.

Director Business Incubation Center Dr Iftikhar Ahmad said that the university was developing the business model with industry so that quality seed can be marketed and reach the farmers’ fields that will increase the production and address challenges.

Dr Khurram Zia briefed about the different business model with the industry on the seeds.

Chairman Plant Breeding and Genetics Dr Azeem Iqbal Khan, Dr Abdullah and other notables also spoke on the occasion.