Over five-year period: NA body concerned at data of increase in sugarcane yields

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research on Tuesday raised serious concerns over the data of an increase in sugarcane yields from an average of 600 maunds to 700 maunds per acre over a five-year period.

The standing committee which met with MNA Syed Hussain Tariq in the chair, expressed concerns about the data presented during the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) schemes meeting, which claimed an increase in sugarcane yields from an average of 600 maunds to 700 maunds per acre over a five-year period under a project funded with billions of rupees by the ministry.

The committee members have doubts over the reliability of this data, noting that it was sourced from sugar mills, which have a tendency to underreport production figures to evade taxes, raising doubts about the accuracy of the reported increase.

The committee criticised the modest yield improvement despite heavy public sector investment, calling it an inadequate return on the nation's resources and time.

During the meeting, University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Zulfiqar Ali delivered a comprehensive briefing on the university’s research initiatives and academic scope. He noted that UAF currently enrolls 33,556 students and offers 61 undergraduate, 112 postgraduate, and 225 diploma or short-course programmes. Of its 682 faculty members, 470 hold PhDs.

Dr Ali outlined the university’s strategic research focus, which includes genetics, seed and breed development, agronomic innovation, agro-technologies, and value addition.

He highlighted progress in developing low-input, resource-efficient crops such as new durum wheat varieties.

Chairman Tariq emphasised the importance of reducing crop cycles to conserve water and minimise pesticide use—an approach that also lowers the burden on farmers and promotes environmental sustainability.

The briefing also showcased notable research progress, including the development of UAF-11, a high-yield Brassica variety, and Okra-3A as part of the vegetable breeding efforts. Further advancements in soybean, maize hybrids, mangoes, citrus fruits, and genetically modified sugarcane highlighted the university’s dedication to improving crop yield, quality, and resilience.

Dr Ali further informed the committee of the university's collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), focusing on DAP fertiliser production, import substitution, and precision agriculture. He said these efforts incorporate artificial intelligence, climate mitigation strategies, solar energy, and digital agriculture extension services. With 135 active collaborations — 84 international and 51 national—UAF also supports outreach efforts including Chinese language training and skill development for D-8 and OIC member countries. Under PSDP and ADB-funded projects, the university is establishing advanced laboratories for seed testing and certification to align with global export standards, he said.

MNAs Rana Muhammad Hayat Khan, Waseem Qadir, Nadeem Abbas, Chaudhary Iftikhar Nazir, Musarrat Asif Khawaja, Zulfiqar Ali Behan, Usama Hamza, and Muhammad Ameer Sultan and senior officials of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) attended the meeting.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025