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ISLAMABAD, Dec 6 (APP):Caretaker Minister for National Food Security & Research Dr Kausar Abdullah Malik on Wednesday said that maize is a strategic crop concerning national food security needs and the ministry will make all efforts to promote the latest technological innovation and provide an enabling policy for the crop’s continued growth.
He expressed these views during the meeting with the CropLife Pakistan delegation, which apprised the minister of their contribution to the seed sector, in particular, maize, where over the past two decades yields have grown four-fold and overall production has increased from a little over 1 million metric tons to an impressive 10.5 million metric tons in 2022-23.
The minister said that various steps have been taken to this end, including the enactment and implementation of the Plant Breeders Rights Act, DNA fingerprinting to ensure transparency in the intellectual right protection of seed companies and independent breeders, and streamlining of operating standards for seed companies to improve the overall quality of seed research and supply.
The CropLife representatives further added that its member companies collectively market more than 80% of Pakistan’s hybrid maize seed and have invested significantly towards introducing the latest high-yielding hybrids and farmer education programs.