ISLAMABAD: A ministerial meeting on cotton cultivation decided on Wednesday to encourage the companies providing seed technology to introduce their cotton seeds in Pakistan and stressed the need for adopting measures to protect the farmers from fake seeds.
The meeting, chaired by National Food Security Minister Tariq Bashir Cheema, attend by Commerce Minister Syed Naveed Qamar,
Industry and Production Minister Syed Murtaza Mehmood, besides the relevant high-level officials and stakeholders.
The meeting reviewed the proposals for increasing cotton production and the cultivation area.
A committee form in the meeting to talk to the seed companies and facilitate them to introduce quality cotton seed with the latest technology in the Pakistani market.
“The latest seed technology will help increase productivity,” Cheema told the meeting.
“Technology transfer will also benefit this sector and the farmers will be encourag to grow more cotton,” he added. He also asked the textile industry to pay arrears of cotton cess.
Mahmood, the industry minister, directed the committee members to review criteria for the registration of seed companies.
“The companies providing substandard seeds to be fine and further steps to be taken to protect the farmers from fake seeds,
“The federal government will work with the provincial governments to formulate its procedure,” Mehmood added.
The minister also stressed the need for improvement in the research and development (R&D) institutions of the country.
The participants also discussed the approval of Rs10 billion for the Cotton Research and Development Endowment Fund by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on last month.
The funds would be releas in three years over the next three years.
The committee decide the funds used to improve seed quality,
modernise and develop production technologies that address climate change issues.
The meeting also apprised of the Food Ministry’s awareness campaign for farmers
