Producing 2 million disease-resistant potato tubers: PARC's Agrotech Company, Green System Pakistan sign agreement

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC)'s Agrotech Company (PATCO) and Green System Pakistan (Pvt) Limited on Thursday signed an agreement for producing two million disease-resistant potato tuber using tissue culture technology.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the PATCO, Dr Muhammad Amjad, and CEO UAE-based Green System Pakistan (Pvt) Limited, Rana Tahawar Ali Khan signed the agreement on behalf of their organisations.

The PARC Chairman, Dr Muhammad Azam Khan, was also present on the occasion. The PARC Chairman said on the occasion that tissue culture technology was being widely used for large-scale plant multiplication that gives a science-based solution for plant propagation, disease elimination and plant improvement. Due to disease attacks on local potato varieties, the country has to import potato tubers from Holland, he said.

He said that under this agreement in coordination with private sector, we will produce virus-free potato tubers locally that will save our valuable foreign exchange. Dr Amjad about the agreement said that the PARC and Green System Pakistan (Pvt) Limited would initiate the collaboration and coordination among the parties in developing Screen Houses at the NARC for expansion of work up to two million potato tubers, that would help to reduce import of potato seeds.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020