ISLAMABAD: There is a dire need for renewed public private partnership to accelerate food production and offset the food insecurity threat. President SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry Iftikhar Ali Malik said this while speaking as a chief guest at the annual rice dealers conference held under the aegis of Guard Agriculture Research and Services on Monday. He said that global food security is at a tipping point and a larger portion of the global population is hungry today than 2015. He said the role of public private partnership is improving global food security. He said the prime objective of public private partnership is to use market mechanisms to improve Agri food systems, thereby reducing food insecurity and advancing rural development. He said rice is the second most important crop of Pakistan which promises economic prosperity for growers and helps earn billions of rupees through its export. TLTP
Malik said Pakistan is the 10th largest producer and the 4th largest exporter of rice. He said Pakistan’s exports make up more than 8% of the world’s total rice trade. He lauded the four decades long efforts of Guard Agri research and services division for introducing 11 government approved new varieties of hybrid rice for commercial cultivation.
Former president of Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Shahzad Ali Malik, who is also managing director of Guard Rice, speaking on the occasion said, “We are the pioneer in developing extra long grain varieties in Pakistan” and established 5 research stations all over the country in rice growing areas one each at Golarchi,Larkana, Muridke, Pakpattan and Lahore for conducting latest research in evolving new varieties braving heat resistance,drought and salinity tolerance.
He said, “We have also successfully introduced two tomato and chilli hybrid varieties each and will soon launch these in Pakistan after approval from the government. We are again the first in Pakistan to introduce hybrid wheat and conduct extensive trails every year.”
Shahzad said, “We are earning foreign exchange for Pakistan for exporting guard rice which he added are in great demand globally”.
