Pakistan: Foreign firm shows interest in introducing hybrid corn seeds
Wire desk byline Sourced from Xinhua, Dawn, Arab News, Anadolu and Minute Mirror. Translated and abridged by the GSRRA Desk.
A Singapore-based hybrid seed company has shown keen interest in introducing climate-resilient hybrid corn seeds in Pakistan, finding the country having the potential to get high yields.
“Our latest hybrid corn seed technology has shown the potential to increase yields by up to 32 per cent, offering farmers higher productivity and improved profitability,” said Commercial Director for Southeast Asian Markets of Corteva Agriscience (Singapore), Mr Bryce Sturgess, during a meeting with Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain in Islamabad on Wednesday.
Mr Sturgess informed the minister that by introducing climate-resilient hybrid corn seeds in Pakistan, “we aim to support farmers in overcoming challenges such as water scarcity and changing weather patterns”.
Corteva is committed to working alongside the Pakistan government to strengthen food security through innovative corn hybrids that are both sustainable and farmer-friendly, Mr Sturgess maintained.
The Singaporean delegation head said with the adoption of advanced hybrid corn seeds, Pakistan’s farming community would not only achieve higher yields but also contribute to the country’s long-term agricultural sustainability. He also shared details of initiatives and investment plans in Pakistan’s agriculture sector.
Mr Hussain said that Pakistan’s agriculture sector requires modernisation and innovative approaches to meet challenges. He emphasised hybrid seed technology, along with improved agronomic practices, can substantially increase farmers’ income, reduce crop losses, and improve national food self-sufficiency.
Reference Link:- https://www.dawn.com/news/1937783
Zamir Ahmed Awan is the founder and Chair of the Global Silk Route Research Alliance, a think tank in Islamabad. He studied engineering at Shanghai University in the 1980s, and years later he went back to China as Pakistan's science counsellor in Beijing, from 2010 until 2016, working on science and higher education cooperation between the two countries.…
