Inclusion of PSA, NIBGE in rice research board directed

Admitting the demand of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP), the Secretary Agriculture Punjab Muhammad Mahmood has directed inclusion of Pakistan Seed Association (PSA) and the National Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE) on board of the Rice Research and Development Board Punjab to develop commercially viable varieties, which can meet the consumer demands.
The provincial secretary passed these directions during a meeting with the REAP delegation which called on him at his office to discuss issues impeding the growth of rice exports from Pakistan. REAP Chairman Samee Ullah Naeem led the delegation. Other members of the delegation were Mian Mohsin Aziz, Zahid Khawaja, Shahid Tarar, Adnan Sheikh, Ch. Nazeer and Kashif ur Rehman.
The delegation requested the government for taking the NIBGE and Pakistan Seed Association (PSA) on board of the Rice Research & Development Board to streamline the research and putting it in the proper required dimension so as to develop new seeds aimed at boosting the rice production and meeting the requirements of the industry and the importers.
Samee Ullah Naeem also apprised the Secretary of delay in recognition of new varieties including the Basmati variety produced by the NIBGE. Secretary assured to review the issues and do the needful in the larger interest of the growers and the exporters.
Samee Ullah Naeem giving details of the meeting told Business Recorder here on Friday that the Secretary Agriculture also formed a sub-committee to discuss and submit recommendations before the end of current month on if pesticides like Biphenyl and Carbendazim are in excessive use by the rice growers in the province. The rice exporters drew his attention towards the increasing sensitivity by European countries against the use of different pesticides especially Biphenyl and Carbendazim.
REAP leaders said though Biphenyl and Carbendazim are being used in negligible quantity in Pakistan by the rice growers but awareness should be created against use of those pesticides whose minimum residue level (MRL) are expected to be revised next year by the EU.
Mahmood also informed the visiting delegation of the rice exporters about reforms being carried out in market committee systems so as to facilitate the buyers and sellers. He said that the market committees will be privatized and such facilities will be erected near the markets where commodities could have facilities of drying so that quality grains having allowed limit of moisture should reach the market and fetch better prices for the improved living standard of growers.
Secretary Agriculture Punjab assured the REAP members to take up the matter of filing a case with the European Union (EU) for abatement of new developed Basmati varieties. He said that the case would be filed through Pak Commissioner in Geneva. On the demand of the REAP delegation, Director Rice Research Institute Kala Shah Kaku provided a list of approved rice varieties on the spot so as to get benefit of Sri Lankan governments agreement to remove duty on Pakistani long grain rice.