Governor for exploring new markets to boost rice export

LAHORE: Punjab Governor Muhammad Baligh-ur-Rehman presided over a meeting of Sub-Committee on Rice Seed at Governor’s House here Tuesday. In the meeting, various suggestions were presented regarding the improvement of rice seed.

Speaking on this occasion, governor said that rice is important cash crop that earns country billions of foreign exchange besides meeting the country's nutritional requirements. He said that all the stakeholders had to give special attention to the search on rice seed to increase rice production substantially and explore new markets to increase export of rice.

Punjab Governor said that modern research was needed to improve the quality of the seed to increase the rice export so that the production of high quality rice in the country and its export can be boosted through joint efforts. He said that he would play his role in conveying the recommendations of the Rice Seed Committee to the provincial and federal governments to support the rice seed producers and rice exporters in the country. On this occasion, Convener, sub-committee on rice, Shehzad Ali Malik, put forward the recommendations and said that private seed companies producing hybrid seeds of modern technology in the country should be allotted government land on easy terms for the cultivation of seeds. He demanded the government simplify the rules and regulations related to breeding at the local level and provide interest-free loans for research and development of the institutions that produce seeds of modern technology at the local level. He emphasised on providing the facility of conducting tests from, at least three accredited laboratories.

Meanwhile, Governor in his message on Punjab Culture Day, said that Punjab is the custodian of regional customs and cultural traditions. He said the Punjab government deserves congratulations for celebrating March 14 (Punjab Culture Dihar) with zeal.

Health Consortium: The Vice-Chancellors of different medical universities suggested promoting academic research and modern trends in the field of medicine. They floated these suggestions during a meeting of the Consortium on Health chaired by Punjab Governor Balighur Rahman on Tuesday.

The trends in health education was the topic of the Consortium meeting which was attended vice chancellors of various medical universities. Convener of Health Consortium Committee, Vice Chancellor of FJMU Prof Khalid Masood Gondal briefed the governor about the suggestions and recommendations of the consortium.

VC University of Health Sciences Prof Ahsan Waheed Rathore, VC Children's University Prof Masood Sadiq, VC Faisalabad Medical University Prof Zafar Ali Ch, VC Nishtar Medical University Prof Rana Altaf Ahmed, VC Rawalpindi Medical University Prof M Umar and Pro VC King Edward Medical University Prof Ijaz Hussain also participated in the meeting.