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FAISALABAD, Oct 28 (APP):The government has prioritized to increase agriculture production to cater
domestic food requirements in the country.
This was stated by Director General Agriculture (Farm & Training) Punjab Dr Ishtiaq Hasan
while addressing a meeting arranged for approval of Maize Production Project 2025 at the
Ayub Agricultural Research Institute (AARI) Faisalabad.
Dr Muzammal National Coordinator Maize PARC, Dr Arshad Bashir Director Social Sciences
Research Institute PARC Faisalabad, Principal Scientist Maize Institute Faisalabad Ahsan Raza Milhi, Dr Haroon Zaman Associate Professor University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Director Adoptive Research Vehari Ashiq Hussain Sangi, Director Adoptive Research Lahore Javaid Ahmad and others were also present in the meeting.
Dr Ishtiaq said that Pakistan was an agrarian country and its economy mostly depended on
the production of agriculture sector.
He urged the scientists to come up with new seed varieties which gave maximum production even during harsh weather conditions.
He said that maize was the third major crop in Pakistan after wheat and rice which was cultivated over maximum area of land. Although maize production increased due to new hybrid varieties, yet its farmers had to face some problems. Therefore, the government had set its priority to incentivize this sector so that domestic food requirements could be catered, he added.
He said that maize was not only used as diet by the human beings but its major portion was also utilized in the feed of poultry birds and other animals. This crop is mostly cultivated in North West areas of Pakistan. The maize factories mostly situated at Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Sahiwal, Rahim Yar Khan and Rawalpindi were making a number of products from this commodity as it was a cheap source of various minerals and vitamins, he added.
Director Adoptive Research Headquarter Lahore Javaid Ahmad addressed the meeting and said that maize was cultivated twice in a year. However, Baharia cultivation of maize crops gave more production as compared to other crop, he added.
Principal Scientist/Incharge Maize Institute AARI Ahsan Raza said that heavy loamy soil was most suitable for maize cultivation. The farmers should prefer seed of hybrid approved varieties of maize for cultivation as it had most resistance against attack of diseases and insects in addition to giving maximum production with minimum input cost.
He advised the growers to consult the entomologists before using pesticides when they witness pest attack on their crops.
He also advised the farmers to use the latest technology which would help in increasing crop production in addition to save it from the ill impacts of climate changes and harsh weather conditions.
The meeting thoroughly discussed the Maize Production Project 2025 and approved it after some new recommendations and suggestions.