"We are very near to achieve our target after the hard work of five to six years. Our scientists in collaboration with the Chinese partners have already developed 13 CMS lines out of which one variety is giving 75 maunds per acres and average grain length of 7mm, slightly short of the target of 80 maunds per acre," said Chief Executive Guard Agri Shahzad Ali Malik.
Members of the Agriculture Journalists Association (AJA) and Lahore Economic Journalists Association (LEJA) visited Guard head office here on Monday to know the role of hybrid rice varieties in ensuring food security.
SAARC Chamber of Commerce & Industry Vice President Iftikhar Ali Malik, LCCI President Syed Almas Hyder, Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan's nominated chairman for next year Shahjahan Malik and Pir Nazim Hussein Shah were also present on this occasion.
Malik said that scientists have been given the task that the variety they develop should be heat & drought tolerant and salinity resistant.
He said that Guard started working on the development of basmati hybrid in 2014 and after six years of industrious research is near its target.
Established in 1989, Guard is involved in basic as well as applied research for the development of hybrid rice varieties in collaboration with Longping High-Tech Industries and have achieved full technology transfer in the field of hybrid rice with the feather, of being a market leader in hybrid rice seed, in its cap, he said.
Guard group has the honour of commercializing Super Basmati in 1991, which was eventually approved by the government in 1997 for commercial cultivation after 40 percent of Punjab area came under its cultivation. The company so far has developed eight different rice hybrids for general cultivation in Pakistan with first Seed Company developing such a big number of hybrids and starting local hybrid seed production.
He said that since the introduction of hybrid rice in Sindh, the income of rice farmers has doubled due to a double yield of hybrid rice as compared to IRRI varieties. Some of the progressive farmers even had a yield of 110 maunds per acres by sowing these hybrid varieties. Due to early maturing of hybrid rice crop, timely sowing of Rabi crops is ensured. Timely sown Rabi crops give a positive and significant increase in per-unit production/per acre yield which consequently increases farmer income. Due to shorter maturity period, hybrid rice crop can be planted in late season.
He said the low rice yields do not match with the increasing cost of inputs and because of increasing cost, Pakistan is becoming uncompetitive in the international market. Declining land resources and water shortage are other reasons which can only be solved by the adoption of hybrid rice.
Shahzad said that they were also introducing combine harvesters, rice transplanters and other implements to promote mechanization in this field and these will be introduced to farmers on a rental basis.
He lamented that our public institutes could not introduce any new variety since 1960.
Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) President Syed Almas Hyder appreciated the efforts being carried out by the Group and said that no other public or private group was doing the same.
He said our industries are also dependent on agriculture and they perform well when agriculture performs well. He said that investment can only be attracted once interest rates come down and it will generate economic activities as well as job opportunities.