Lahore: Federal Seed Certification & Registration Department (FSCD) has given a go-ahead signal to the Guard Agricultural Research & Services Ltd., (Guard) for exporting 50 metric tons of hybrid rice seed, the first ever rice seed export from Pakistan, following the passage of purity and germination analysis of the consignment.
Company sources said that it had entered in to a deal with a Philippine company to export a newly developed hybrid rice variety and initially the quantity was fixed at 50 metric tons. The Company prior to export had applied for purity and germination analysis with the federal seed certification and registration department in mid of December and it received a green signal from the FSCD on January 03, 2018. It is planned to export the consignment shortly as now the company has to get through the process of quarantine department in this regard, said Guard’s Chief Executive Shahzad Ali Malik in a statement issued here.
‘We had a good harvest of rice seed of hybrid varieties, which after processing and passing through required procedures is ready to be exported now. The shipment is expected to be seen off at Karachi by high government officials, company representatives and other stakeholders at an event to celebrate this landmark achievement by the country,’ said Shahzad Malik.
Shahzad Malik also dedicated this land mark achievement to the Pakistani growers, Company’s Chinese counterparts and his own team.
Executive Seed Division Guard Agriculture Research & Services, Shah Rukh Malik termed it a great achievement not only for the Company but for Pakistan to export hybrid rice seed to a country, which is pioneer in rice technology and having world renowned IRRI (International Rice Research Institute) which gave modern rice varieties to the world.