ISLAMABAD: Despite being an agricultural country, Pakistan is far behind advanced countries in producing quality seeds.
According to WalthPk’s report, Pakistan imports more than a billion dollars worth of agricultural seeds instead of having local varieties. According to Federal Minister for Science and Technology Shibli Faraz, Pakistan imports 80 percent of agricultural seeds from the world.
While having an interactive session with beat reporters, the minister said Pakistan could face a severe food security crisis if the world stops providing seeds.
Pakistan’s agriculture sector is one of the largest sectors that provides 38.5 percent employment to the labour force and has a 19.2 percent contribution to gross domestic product (GDP).
Over the years, its share has been gradually decreasing. Pakistan’s per acre yield of crops is declining. There are many factors behind this, but the lack of producing quality seed varieties is one of the main factors, WealthPK reported.
Unfortunately, due to inadequate research and development, Pakistan has not produced sufficient varieties of agricultural seeds to fulfill its demand. To get a high yield of crops and meet domestic demand, Pakistan imports agricultural seeds of different crops from different countries. The following table shows the last five years’ imports of seeds, which have been increasing.
Pakistan’s seed sector had been neglected for a long time. The absence of a comprehensive regulatory framework hinders private sector investment, and the government lacks resources to develop, produce, and improve seed varieties in the country.
At the time of independence, Pakistan inherited only one agriculture research centre, Punjab Agricultural College and Research Institute, Lyallpur. In 1961, the Government of Pakistan bifurcated Punjab Agricultural College and Research Institute into an Agricultural University Faisalabad and the Ayub Agricultural Research Institute (AARI).
While talking to WealthPK, Dr Saeed Ahmad, Research Officer at Agriculture Department of Punjab province, said that Pakistan is producing its seed varieties of major crops, including wheat, rice, cotton, and garlic.
He added that after multiple years of on-station and on-farm testing, the Wheat Research Institute (WRI) in Faisalabad, the Arid Zone Research Institute (AZRI) in Bhakkar, and the Barani Agricultural Research Institute in Chakwal now produce five varieties: Subhani 2021, MH-2021, Dilkash-2021, Bhakkar-20 and MA-2020.
He added that the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) Islamabad has introduced a new variety of garlic in Pakistan named NARC G1, which has a higher per acre yield than other available varieties, making Pakistan self-sufficient in garlic production.
About seeds imports, he told WealthPK that Pakistan only imports minor crops seeds, including vegetables, pulses, etc., which has less share in imports bills. Pakistan also imports seeds that are used to extract edible oil, which puts a burden on the import bill.
Dr Saeed said the preparation of a new variety of crops would take several years.
WealthPK has found that the new locally produced varieties in Pakistan are not competitive. Pakistan’s per hectare wheat yield is 3 metric tons, almost half to the advanced countries that produce 7 metric tons per hectare on average.
The same is the case with cotton and corn. Pakistan’s cotton production is 729kg per hectare, while advanced countries produce 1,511kg per hectare. Pakistan produces 5 metric tons per hectare of corn, while developed countries’ yield is on average 10 metric tons per hectare.
New varieties of seeds are not usually available to every farmer. Farmers use their old seeds every year, which are less productive. If farmers have a choice in seeds selection, they prefer imported seeds over the local varieties. -INP
