Agri experts for coordinated efforts to combat CLCuV

Agriculture scientists and experts at a conference stressed for coordinated efforts to combat Cotton Leaf Curl Virus (CLCuV) by developing disease-resistant cotton varieties to save billions of cotton bales from becoming prey to the virus every year. "The CLCuV has been causing colossal loss of two to three million bales every year, which needs special attention of scientists to be combated," they said at two-day conference here at National Agricultural Research Council.
The conference on "Enhancing Cotton Germplasm Improving Resistance to CLCuD," was organised by ICARDA in collaboration with Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) to apprise the scientists about latest developments in research of cotton disease. Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan while speaking on the occasion said that cotton was the important cash crop which earns 51 percent of total foreign exchange besides providing employment to millions in Pakistan.
The federal minister lauded the efforts of USDA which he said has chosen right time to assist Pakistan to conduct a comprehensive research on this disease with a focus on developing CLCuV resistant varieties.
The federal minister stressed the need for developing knowledge-based response to Pak-USA climate change, environmental and broader sustainability challenges. The minister thanked USA government for monetary assistance and scientific co-operation in an extremely important filed of cotton sector. The minister also paid tributes to scientists of USA and Pakistan for their remarkable achievements in cotton research.
Speaking on the occasion, Secretary Ministry for National Food Security and Research (NFS&R) Seerat Asghar said that Seed Act provides a big role to private sector, providing it an opportunity to work for agriculture development. Speaking on the occasion, Secretary Ministry of Textile Amir M Khan Marwat said that the textile sector was fully dependent on cotton and Pakistan is the 4th largest cotton producing country. Chairman PARC Dr Iftikhar Ahmad termed the Pak-US CLCU as one of the successful programmes which he said would not only help overcome the disease in Pakistan but would also help check its spread across the continents.
Representative of Agricultural Counsellor, ARS, US Embassy, Jack Mortenson highlighted the importance of collaborative efforts and relationship to cope with the challenges. Country Head ICARDA Dr Abdul Majid informed the participants about the performance of overall programme. US scientist Dr Brian Scheffler in his presentation informed about the research work done in Pakistan to combat the CLCV while another US scientist Dr Rob Briddon informed the participants about the basics of CLCUV which he said has been inflicting a great loss to cotton. Dr Ahsan Rana apprised about Seed Act amendment and seed issues in Pakistan.-PR