Caretaker Minister for National Food Security and Research Dr. Kausar Abdullah Malik attended a workshop on Climate-Resilient High Yielding and Quality Rice Development at National Agriculture Research Centre (NARC), Islamabad. The workshop was organized by Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) to introduce recently approved high yielding, disease and heat resistant rice varieties which are self-pollinated. These varieties have comparable productivity of hybrid rice and thus farmers can use same seed for next season. These new rice varieties with less cost and high profit are expected to be game changer in the rice sector in Pakistan. Federal Minister appreciated the efforts of scientist working in National Institute for Genomics and Advanced Biotechnology for their commendable work? He also acknowledged the support given by Green Super Rice (GSR), Phase-II project being executed by CAAS, China with the financial support of Melinda & Bill Gate Foundation, USA. The Federal Minister also stressed upon the crucial role of research in boosting agricultural production to ensure food security in the country. Research is an integral part of economic development therefore we should focus on innovative techniques to improve agriculture in the country. He highlighted the significance of agriculture sector for Pakistan and explained that agriculture can contribute to overall economic development and address our economic woes. We should adopt modern technology in agriculture sector to improve per acre yield. The Federal Minister also said that climate change is a reality. We should focus on developing crop varieties that can withstand the challenges posed by climate change. He emphasized for promoting climate resilient agriculture with high yielding crops to ensure food security for growing population in the country. Pakistan this year (2023-24) poised to earn nearly 3 billion $ by exporting over 4 million tons of rice.
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