Ultra modern Chinese agricultural technologies can help Pakistani farmers in getting bumper crops: PHHSA chief

Islamabad: Chairman Pakistan Hi-Tech Hybrid Seed Association (PHHSA) Shahzad Ali Malik has said that the ultra modern Chinese agricultural technologies can help Pakistani farmers in getting bumper crops.

Malik urged the farmers to use ultra modern Chinese agricultural technologies for prosperity.

“The ultra modern Chinese agricultural technologies can fetch bumper crop production and make Pakistan self sufficient in food,” he maintained in a statement issue here.

Malik stressed that cultivators must acquaint themselves with new technologies like mechanised Direct-Seeded Rice (DSR) which saved sufficient quantum of water by 50 percent and labour ranges from 13-37 percent.

He observed that the DSR is technically and economically feasible, eco-friendly alternative to conventional puddled transplanted rice.

He emphasized that the development of new rice varieties for direct seeding along with proper management practices can help in adoption of DSR.

He said that seed priming technology can help to get rid of the problem of poor establishment of crop and can be further improved.

Malik mentioned that Pakistan was among top ten producers of rice in the world and contribute around eight percent to world rice trade.

He feared that non availability of timely supply of water and power will affect the target of 8.6m tons of rice set by the federal committee on agriculture.

Shahzad Ali Malik encouraged the rice growers to sow the best quality hi tech hybrid seeds for better yield to export for earning maximum profitability.

He reminded that China during first quarter of last fiscal year imported different varieties of rice worth more than US $255.52 million from Pakistan.

He acknowledged that the Chinese technology helped Pakistan increase yield in rice processing and maintain quality.

He noted that the exports of rice to China was increasing substantially every year. He said broken rice were also in great demand in Chinese markets.

Malik informed that 53 Pakistani rice enterprises were on approval list of China’s General Administration of Customs and it would further boost local exports of rice.