Project to boost production of oilseed launched

PESHAWAR: The provincial government, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and National Research Programme for Universities (NRPU) have initiated a project for enhancing oilseed productivity in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Talking to reporters after the inauguration ceremony here on Saturday, Project Manager Prof Dr Habib Ahmad said the project titled “Commercialisation of High Quality Rapeseed Variety Hasnain-2013” was basically designed to provide high quality certified rapeseed to farmers.

He added that the main objectives of the project were to procure and market 150 tonnes of certified rapeseed during the project

He said the project was aimed at focusing on multiplication of certified seed of improved commercial variety of Hasnain 2013, which would further motivate the private sector in seed business particularly in local seed production.

He said it would involve and encourage local extraction industry in the procurement process.

Prof Dr Habib Ahmad said under the project activities were underway in the province and 80 acres of crop of early generation (Pre-Basic) was sown in different area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during last September- October to achieve the target of 50 tonnes of seed procurement.

He said that cultivar was highest yielding across Pakistan in the seven test sites in National Uniformity Rapeseed Yield Trial and still had the potential to outperform.