Islamabad: Chairman, Pakistan Agriculture Research Council, Dr. Muhammad Azeem Khan together with Dr. Muhammad Ghulam Ali, Member PSD paid a visit to National Sugarcane and Tropical Horticulture Research Institute (NSTHRI), PARC, Thatta on  3rd October, 2020. 

Dr. Azeem Khan while addressing the participants of rice travelling seminar said that the government is taking effective measures for standardization and enhancement of rice productivity. In this respect PARC and its travelling seminars on rice are engaging the agricultural scientists and experts to inform farming communities about the importance of rice crop, and ways in which farmers can boost their rice productivity with the aim to get maximum output of rice crop, ultimately leading to successful rice export. The Chairman also added that Rice is a crop of utmost importance in the national country which has the potential to meet the food needs of the people as well as earn foreign exchange.

Dr. Ataullah Khan, Director General PARC-SARC Karachi spoke on rice borne diseases, pest management, improved pesticide practices in rice crop, rice harvesting and rice exports as well as rice travel seminar. He apprised the participants of the details of the program and said that this travel seminar would enable better research of rice and alleviation of difficulties so that the country could move towards the goal of agricultural self-sufficiency. The Travelling Rice Seminar started from Golarchi which will end at NARC Islamabad. Dr. Fatehullah Soomro, Director PARC-NSTHRI, Thatta, Abdul Majeed Nizamani, President Sindh Aabadgar Board were also participants of the event.

At the occasion, the foundation stone of Sugarcane Cross Breeding Infrastructure, Glass House and Photoperiod Chambers were also laid down by Chairman PARC. Meanwhile, Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali Member PSD, PARC inaugurated the Sugarcane Quality Analysis Lab which was followed by the planting activities of the PARC tissue cultured banana plant varieties.