OKARA: Out of the 0.4 million tonnes of potato seed being utilised in the country, 90 per cent is imported with potato crop now being cultivated thrice a year instead of being a seasonal crop cultivated once until the recent past.

Also, 43 per cent of the labourers in the country were earning their livelihood from agriculture, yet it remains a neglected sector, as there was no ministry of national food security.

This was discussed during the NationalPotato and Maize Crop seminar held in the city that was attended by hundreds of growers. The seminar was presided over by Potato Growers Society district president Mian Muhammad Siddique with Agriculture (Extension) Director General Dr Zafaryab Haider and DG Agriculture (Research) Dr Abid Mehmood as guests of honour.

During the seminar, it came to light that maize was fifth largest crop in the country cultivated over three million acres and yielding 4.7 million tonnes of produce.

Furthermore, 57pc of the crop was cultivated in Punjab and 42pc in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but the maize seed wasimported from US and Swiss companies based in the Philippines with a small amount from Turkey as well.

Owing to climate change, potato had become the main crop cultivated thrice a year across the country with different ratios of fertilisers used for it depending on the land and climate. Since 2009, four new varieties of potato seed had been introduced by the potato research institute in Sahiwal bringing the total to 18 varieties in the country.

It was also asserted during the seminar that if the required potato seed was prepared in the country, import expenditurecould be reduced by 50pc.

Participants of the seminar demanded construction of dams as being necessary as water was the ultimate lifeline for humans as well as agriculture. It was also asserted that wastage of water should be avoided on each level.

The seminar was addressed by maize and potato experts, including Muhammad Zeeshan, Mian Farooq Ahmed, Ayehsa Gulzar, Dr Mehmood Afzal, Muhammad Akram Khan Lashari, Dr Aijazul Ahsan, Namra Warraich, Mehr Khan Niazi, Chaudhry Mushtaq Gill, Zahid Khan, Dr Tariq Aziz and Maqsood Jutt.