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Staff Report ISB: A meeting was held in Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) aiming at promotion of soybean crop and highlighting its advantages. It was decided that soybean crop will be cultivated on 1000 acres of area during current season for seed multiplication at National Agricultural Research Center (NARC) and farmers fields through contract farming in Sargodha, Chakwal, Attock and Northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with the collaboration of other national partners.
The meeting was presided by Seerat Asghar, Federal Secretary, Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFSR); while addressing in the meeting she urged all stakeholders including government, public and private sector organizations working in agri sector, farmers community, and other exponentials of agricultural sector to work collectively for the betterment of the sector because in Pakistan agriculture contributes about 24 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) and has direct impact on economic growth of the country.
Dr. Azeem Khalid, Director General NARC was also present on the occasion. He said that soybean had broader genetic diversity that offers multiple uses, so in future new varieties of soybean with enhanced yield potential and other attributes may be developed. Dr. Azeem also stressed to strengthen the linkages between public and private sector and said that it was imperative for agri sector development.