LAHORE - High yielding hybrid rice area is
going to cross 50 per cent in three years from present 25 to 30 per cent paddy
coverage, yielding additional two million tons output, said Shahzad Ali Malik,
Chief Executive Officer of Guard Rice Research & Services Pvt Ltd at a
function.
All efforts of introducing hybrid rice seed in
Pakistan is being commanded by national seed companies mainly in collaboration
of Chinese leader in research & development with 'Guard Agri' having the
lion's share. Several multinational seed companies like, Monsanto, Pioneer,
Syngenta and Bayer did try to introduce hybrid rice seed but failed to
outperform national seed companies.
Their varieties were less rewarding for farmers
due to lack of jump in production while seed cost was also high if compared
with what local seed companies were offering, Shahzad Ali Malik said.
Malik, who is founding president of Seed
Association of Pakistan (SAP) and ex-presidents of Rice Exporters Association
of Pakistan (REAP) and LCCI, said that with untiring efforts of local
scientists, the role of private sector in seed research and development is
increasing day by day.
With doubling of hybrid rice seed coverage from
present 25-30 per cent to over 50 per cent in next three years, national rice
production is potentially expected to be increased by hefty two million tons.
At present yield is 6.9 million ton from 2.79 million hactares. By doubling the
area from 25 per cent to 50 per cent, the expected increase in yield will be
around 2 million tons and total yield will be around 9 million tons, he
explained.
In total rice hybridization, around 90 per cent
area of long-grain paddy is in Sindh province while 10 per cent in South
Punjab. As aromatic basmati rice is first choice for farmers in Punjab, coarse
varieties area is still low.
However, with production of hybrid rice seed in
central Punjab, paddy area in Punjab is likely to increase significantly in
coming years, he observed.
The major factor behind success of national
seed companies in large-scale acceptance of rice hybrid seed has been
development of heat-resistance and drought-tolerant varieties, he said and
adding multinational seed companies had varieties that could not perform well
in harsh summer weather of Sindh and Southern Punjab.
Hence, Malik said, the long grain hybrid rice
that substituted IRRI-6 in coastal belt and central Sindh is a major success as
its export market is rapidly evolving in the favour of farmers and exporters.
The higher yield and lower production give a
premium to farmers, considerably changing their socio economic conditions.
Consequently, our long grain rice is gaining
grounds globally with much ease by competing major producers and exporters
countries of the world like Vietnam and Thailand. It is pertinent to mention
here that Shahzad Ali Malik is one of the most prominent entrepreneurs who
spearhead private sector research and development (R&D) in agriculture.
His company has emerged as a leader in
demand-driven research in agriculture, challenging the monopoly of public
sector institutions and multinationals.
With great passion to increase productivity of
farming sector, Shahzad Ali Malik is actively striving to achieve food security
in his untiring efforts spanning over past 25 years. He successfully pioneered
the introduction of hybrid rice seed in Pakistan with collaboration of Chinese
scientists
All efforts of introducing hybrid rice seed in
Pakistan is being commanded by national seed companies mainly in collaboration
of Chinese leader in research & development with 'Guard Agri' having the
lion's share. Several multinational seed companies like, Monsanto, Pioneer,
Syngenta and Bayer did try to introduce hybrid rice seed but failed to
outperform national seed companies.
Their varieties were less rewarding for farmers
due to lack of jump in production while seed cost was also high if compared
with what local seed companies were offering, Shahzad Ali Malik said.
Malik, who is founding president of Seed
Association of Pakistan (SAP) and ex-presidents of Rice Exporters Association
of Pakistan (REAP) and LCCI, said that with untiring efforts of local
scientists, the role of private sector in seed research and development is
increasing day by day.
With doubling of hybrid rice seed coverage from
present 25-30 per cent to over 50 per cent in next three years, national rice
production is potentially expected to be increased by hefty two million tons.
At present yield is 6.9 million ton from 2.79 million hactares. By doubling the
area from 25 per cent to 50 per cent, the expected increase in yield will be
around 2 million tons and total yield will be around 9 million tons, he
explained.
In total rice hybridization, around 90 per cent
area of long-grain paddy is in Sindh province while 10 per cent in South
Punjab. As aromatic basmati rice is first choice for farmers in Punjab, coarse
varieties area is still low.
However, with production of hybrid rice seed in
central Punjab, paddy area in Punjab is likely to increase significantly in
coming years, he observed.
The major factor behind success of national
seed companies in large-scale acceptance of rice hybrid seed has been
development of heat-resistance and drought-tolerant varieties, he said and
adding multinational seed companies had varieties that could not perform well
in harsh summer weather of Sindh and Southern Punjab.
Hence, Malik said, the long grain hybrid rice
that substituted IRRI-6 in coastal belt and central Sindh is a major success as
its export market is rapidly evolving in the favour of farmers and exporters.
The higher yield and lower production give a
premium to farmers, considerably changing their socio economic conditions.
Consequently, our long grain rice is gaining
grounds globally with much ease by competing major producers and exporters
countries of the world like Vietnam and Thailand. It is pertinent to mention
here that Shahzad Ali Malik is one of the most prominent entrepreneurs who
spearhead private sector research and development (R&D) in agriculture.
His company has emerged as a leader in
demand-driven research in agriculture, challenging the monopoly of public
sector institutions and multinationals.
With great passion to increase productivity of
farming sector, Shahzad Ali Malik is actively striving to achieve food security
in his untiring efforts spanning over past 25 years. He successfully pioneered
the introduction of hybrid rice seed in Pakistan with collaboration of Chinese
scientists.