Pakistan to import two hybrid wheat varieties from China

BEIJING: Two hybrid wheat varieties developed by the Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, including Beijing Wheat No.6 and No.7, have been successfully grown in pilot areas in Pakistan, and are expected to increase local wheat production by 50 percent.

According to an intergovernmental agreement, Pakistan may start importing and growing the two wheat varieties on a large scale next month, China’s Peoples’ Daily reported.

In fact, Beijing's hybrid wheat was identified by the municipal government as internationally competitive products several years ago, but had not got a chance to be put into commercial use until recently.

The Beijing National Modern Agricultural Science and Technology City, whose construction started in 2010, has conducted bold, innovative seed research with full support of China's Ministry of Science and Technology and Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission.

It has actively promoted the cooperation between research institutions and seed companies through the establishment of a breeding platform, an industry association, and an innovative mechanism for research project management, in hopes of building a complete innovation-driven industry chain.

At present, Beijing's seed technology transactions are growing rapidly. The city has sold 51 seed technologies for 190 million yuan since the launch of the Beijing National Modern Agricultural Science and Technology City, up 250 percent from the last cycle.

Copyright PPI (Pakistan Press International), 2012