December 14, 2007

Most farmers in Pakistan still resistant to improved seeds

Four in five farmers are not using improved certified seeds in Pakistan despite government claims it would greatly increase production, the country's Daily Times reported citing officials from the Agricultural Ministry.

The distribution of improved seed for different agricultural produce has never exceeded 20 percent of the total seed requirement at the national level.

The fact is that no such efforts were made on part of the government to increase agriculture production, a farmer told Daily Times.

Owing to the lack of resources, the small farmer did not use the certified seed and wheat per-acre production remained low, he said.

Pakistan's wheat production is at 960 kg per acre, a third of that in Ireland and half of that in neighbouring India. Pakistan's per acre wheat production is one of the lowest among agrarian economies.

Pakistan could have been self-sufficient in wheat if it could use more technology and certified improved seeds, the official said.