Video Speech of the Honourable Federal Minister, Ministry of National Food Security & Research of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan; For the “International Forum on Hybrid Rice Assistance and World Food Security”

Video Speech of the Honourable Federal Minister,

Ministry of National Food Security & Research

of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan; For the

“International Forum on Hybrid Rice

Assistance and World Food Security”

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good Morning,

It is my great privilege and honor to speak on this paramount Forum, which is aimed to strengthen collaboration in Hybrid Rice production and enhance World Food Security.

China is indeed contributing significantly in global food security, by producing one-fourth of the world's food; and feeding nearly one-fifth of the world's population, with less than nine percent of the world's arable land.

Ladies and Gentlemen!

Hybrid rice has more than 20 percent higher yield than the inbred varieties with the same production cost. China is considered as the pioneer in hybrid rice technology in the world.

Rice is an important food and export commodity of Pakistan. In Pakistan, domestic requirement is about 40 percent of total rice production while about 60 percent is exported to Middle East, European Union and other Asian & African countries.

Excellencies!

Pakistan and China have strong cooperation in hybrid rice. Pakistani private sector companies, in collaboration with Chinese experts, is producing about 2500 tons of hybrid rice seed every year. Another Chinese company in collaboration with Pakistan Agricultural Research Council has also released rice hybrids in Pakistan. As of now, 130 hybrid rice varieties have been approved in Pakistan, mostly of Chinese origin. Of these hybrids, nine have got popularity among farming community and grown in 50 percent rice areas of Sindh, 10 percent of Balochistan and 5 percent of Punjab province.

Ladies and Gentlemen!

In recent years, Pakistani researchers in collaboration with Chinese scientists are also working to introduce hybrid basmati rice varieties with better per hectare yield. Hopefully, in just two years, the basmati hybrid seed would be made available to the growers for cultivation.

Through hybrid rice, the total rice production of Pakistan may increase from 6.7 million tons to 9.0 million tons without expanding the area under rice crop. Although rice is not a scarce commodity in Pakistan, yet its higher production will improve social system in country in many ways. Firstly, food availability to poorest citizen of the country. Secondly, there will be numerous job opportunities for unemployed youth in agro-industry, specifically in various post-harvest operations.

Excellencies!

Pakistan requires 12000 tons of hybrid rice seed annually, of this, 9000 tons is imported from China and 3000 tons is produced locally. We need hybrid rice seed production technology rather than the final product so that we can reduce the foreign exchange burden on our already meagre economic condition.  

Keeping in view, the Wuhan University, China and University of Punjab, Pakistan have jointly initiated work to establish Research Centre for Honglian Hybrid Rice, which adapts well to extreme high temperature. This move will boost development of high-yield hybrid rice seed in Pakistan to improve domestic food security, in addition to supplementing rice export. Besides, Pakistan will save billions of dollar spent to import hybrid seed every year.

Distinguished Participants!

In the end, I would congratulate the organizers for successfully holding this event; especially the China International Development Cooperation Agency, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. I am sure that through this Forum, the scientific research institutions and rice processing industries of China and Pakistan, would collaborate for enhancing hybrid rice production and processing in Pakistan, which will facilitate in modernizing our agriculture sector, alleviating poverty, and improving standards of living of our citizens.