Agriculturists stress growing more oilseed crops.

FAISALABAD -- Chairman Punjab Agriculture Research Board Dr Abid Mahmood said on Thursday that Pakistan could earn huge foreign exchange by exporting oilseeds products to other countries.

Addressing an international seminar held under the aegis of the oilseeds department at Ayub Agriculture Research Institute here, he said that previous year, Pakistan had exported sesame of Rs 32 billion and there is a vast scope to enhance the oilseeds production in the country to boost the exports.

He said that various measures were being taken for the development of agriculture sector in the country under CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) phase-II which would help to promote the exports of fisheries, livestock and agriculture products.

He said that Pakistan would soon achieve self-sufficiency in cooking oil by increasing its oilseed production for that purpose, Punjab Agriculture Research Board had approved Rs 100 billion Oilseed and Soybean project.

He said that Ayyub Agriculture Research Institute Faisalabad has introduced more than 40 varieties of oilseeds and pre-basic seeds had been provided to over 32 private seed companies besides Punjab Seed Corporation. A significant increase in production of various crops has been witnessed by provision of quality seed to small farmers...