Cotton varieties with high productivity will be available: minister

LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Agriculture Hussain Jahania Gardezi has said that the establishment of Cotton Research Institute is a good initiative of the Agriculture Department. The construction of this building equipped with modern facilities for research on cotton is a great gift of the Punjab Government to the region of South Punjab.

The provincial agriculture minister said that it is the need of the hour to discover new cotton varieties that are compatible with climate change and have better yield and immunity against pests and diseases so that farmers can increase their yield per acre and by increasing the income, the country’s economy will be strengthened.

On this occasion, Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Asif Ali said that research is ongoing in lines of modern technology of cotton in collaboration with the University of Agriculture and the Cotton Research Institute. Under this project, a transformation system has been introduced to insert genes for the discovery of cotton varieties. Molecular analysis of GMO lines developed under this system is being done.

He further informed that the MN Agricultural University has undertaken other physical goals including the selection of cotton varieties, purchase of equipment used in laboratories, establishment of greenhouses, transformation of BT and GT genes, and screening, molecular analysis of transgenic plants.

On this occasion, Chief Scientist Cotton Research Institute, Dr. Sagheer Ahmed, while highlighting the project, said that the total cost of this project is more than Rs.331.034 million. More than Rs. 248.899 has been allocated for the Cotton Research Institute, while an amount of Rs. 82.135 million has been allocated for the MNS Agricultural University as a part of this project. A tissue culture laboratory was established under this project. Germ plasma development facilities are also included in this project. He said that climate change compatible Bt and glyphosate resistant varieties MNH 1045 Super Gold and FH 333 are in NCVT trials for testing.

On this occasion, the provincial agriculture minister said that this project will prove to be a game changer for the farmers of the region. The discovery of modern varieties of cotton will provide farmers with seeds of varieties with high productivity, which will increase their production and income per acre and stabilize the country’s economy. On this occasion, Additional Secretary Agriculture Task Force South Punjab Imtiaz Ahmed Waraich, Chief Scientist Ayub Agriculture Research Institute Mohammad Nawaz Khan Makan, Chief Executive Punjab Agriculture Research Board Dr. Abid Mehmood, Former DG Research Dr. Zafar Qureshi, President Kisan Etihad Khalid Khokhar, Chairman PCPA Rauf-ur -Rehman and others also expressed their opinion.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022