The Modern Face Of Farming In The UK

John Hutchinson
LPS Special Correspondent

FEW nations have seen such enormous changes in their farming industry as the United Kingdom. Recent decades have not only brought farmers more than their fair share of drought and flood but also powerful new pressures on their livelihoods that their grandfathers, 50 years ago, could never have imagined.

These pressures are generated by the modern world’s economic, environmental and consumer forces that have changed the face of the entire agriculture and food-production industry in the UK.

As a result, the UK’s agricultural and food production and processing technologies have become some of the most advanced and most sought-after in the world. The downside for many farmers is the personal consequences of the inevitable contraction of an industry that once employed millions but now supports a full-time workforce of fewer than 400,000 people.

Today in England, farmers tend an impressive 80% of the country’s 130,000 square kilometres of land and yet the direct economic value of farming in the food they produce is less than 1% of the nation’s gross domestic product.

This tiny proportion hides the real and immeasurable economic value of farming in terms of the raw materials that feed the UK’s major food processing industry, the new generations of energy crops for cleaner fuels, and the enormous benefit for the UK public in the shape of attractive landscapes that provide a fertile field for the growth industry of rural tourism – a sector that today is worth more in economic terms than farming.

Increasingly, these developments are being encouraged not only by government policies in the UK but also by the farming community. Modern farms are getting bigger but profits are dropping and farm incomes are at the lowest levels since the 1930s, while more than 40,000 jobs have been lost in farming in the past two years alone.

Many UK farmers are weathering the storm by becoming more productive. In the past 18 months the total area under crops has increased by 3% to nearly four million hectares, with wheat up by 20% at nearly 1.9 million hectares. At 21 million tonnes, the UK’s wheat and barley harvest marked a 17% increase over 2001.

Cheap grain from the Ukraine has contributed to a drop in grain prices for UK farmers but the UK’s National Farmers’ Union sees a confident future.

The overall wheat market looks promising for UK suppliers, reports a National Farmers’ Union spokesman. World production levels have fallen, especially in the United States, Canada and Australia, while new markets are opening up in north Africa and Asia.

Livestock, overshadowed today by UK’s grain and horticultural sectors, saw reductions of between 2- and 5% in dairy and beef breeding herds. Horticulture, by contrast, is a vibrant and growing feature of UK agriculture, with the UK leading the way internationally in research, development and environmental stewardship. Horticulture output today is worth almost two billion pounds sterling, more than 10% of the total industry.

Farming in UK also contributes strongly to a thriving export business in foodstuffs that rose to more than 4.8 billion pounds in the first six months of 2002 alone.

Defra - the government’s Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - is striving to help UK farmers survive and prosper, balancing the priorities of ensuring competitively priced food for UK and overseas markets with the need for high standards of safety, environmental care, animal welfare and a sustainable, efficient food chain – while maintaining the essential character of rural communities. Government forecasts point to a 9% growth in farming income this year.

Farmers are also contributing more effectively to government environmental schemes. Direct state ownership of production farms has long since ended but more than 25,000 farmers are now involved in government initiatives and in recent years 400 flourishing farmers’ markets have opened to offer producers scope to sell direct to their customers. Nearly 80,000 farmers and growers are members of farm assurance schemes.

The UK’s leisure and tourist industry, too, is presenting new opportunities for farmers. In the past 20 years an estimated 15,000 farmers have introduced products or services for the leisure market, from big pleasure and educational parks to small-scale facilities for holidaymakers.

Meanwhile the system of state support to food producers is under review with farmers, consumers and the government increasingly anxious to ensure Europe’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) develops as an integrated rural development policy.

Reforms to the policy get the support of UK farmers, although the industry is concerned that changes to the proposed phasing-in of farm support to new member states could affect farmers.

Farmers do not see any major competitive threat arising from the introduction of new member states into the European Union (EU), says the National Farmers’ Union. We broadly agree with the proposed EU position on agriculture in the enlargement talks.

Meanwhile another initiative for UK farmers to grasp is new scope for growing green fuels. Research shows almost one fifth of arable land could be devoted to crops for conversion into bio-fuels.

This promises to be one of the most dramatic shifts in the function of farming in recent history, says the National Farmers’ Union. It will provide new opportunities for farmers and will be excellent news for the environment. With such initiatives, UK agriculture is preparing to look ahead to a cleaner, productive and more stable future.

Source : http://www.agriworld.nl/

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کاشتکاروں نئے گندم کی امدادی قیمت کو مسترد کرتے

23 نومبر، 2012: پاکستان ایگری فورم 1،200 روپے کے نئے گندم کی امدادی قیمت فی 40 کلوگرام کو رد کر دیا ہے، جمعرات کو اقتصادی سمنوی کمیٹی (ای سی سی) کی طرف سے اعلان اور کسانوں کے لیے ہیڈ اخراجات کے طور پر 1،300 روپے کی امدادی قیمت کا مطالبہ کیا کے دوران کافی اضافہ ہوا ہے گزشتہ ایک سال.
بزنس ریکارڈر، ابراہیم مغل سے بات چیت کرتے ہوئے، چیئرمین پاکستان ایگری فورم نے کہا کہ بار بار کی درخواستوں کے باوجود گندم کی امدادی قیمت کے اعلان بوائی مدت کے بعد کیا گیا تھا. گندم کی پیداوار میں کچھ 1-1.5 ملین ٹن کمی میں 2012-13 کے دوران گندم کی امدادی قیمت میں بلند اعلان میں تاخیر نتیجے میں ہو سکتا ہے، انہوں نے مزید کہا کہ. انہوں نے کہا کہ گندم کی بوائی پہلے ہی 20 نومبر کو ختم ہو گیا ہے اور اب نئی قیمت کا اعلان آئندہ گندم کی فصل پر مثبت اثرات مرتب نہیں کرے گا گندم کی امدادی قیمت پر فیصلے میں تاخیر کی وجہ سے ہے. اس برس ہم 24-25 لاکھ ٹن کے فصل کی توقع کر رہے ہیں کے خلاف، ملک کے 26 ملین ٹن کے مطالبہ، "انہوں نے مزید کہا کہ.
کم پیداوار گندم کی بڑے پیمانے پر مقدار کی درآمد کے نتیجے میں، انہوں نے کہا کہ ایسا لگتا ہے کہ درآمد مافیا فعال طور پر مختلف مسائل توڑ رہا ہے اور وقت حمایت کی قیمت کے اعلان کے ساتھ کنکشن میں تاخیر حکمت عملی کا استعمال کرتے ہوئے. کھاد، ڈیزل، پانی، بیج اور کیڑے مار ادویات کی قیمتوں میں گزشتہ ایک سال کے دوران manifolds اضافہ ہوا ہے، جبکہ حمایت قیمت کی قیمت میں اضافہ کے مطابق نہیں ہے، انہوں نے کہا.
"مغل نے کہا کہ انہوں نے کہا کہ کاشتکاروں کو بین الاقوامی قیمت پر ادویات، ڈیزل اور زرخیزی ہو رہے ہیں، جبکہ گھریلو قیمت پر ان کی شے کو فروخت. کسان اس وقت بہت مایوس کن مالیاتی پوزیشن میں ہیں اور اب وہ حکومت کی مدد کی ضرورت ہے، انہوں نے مزید کہا کہ.
1،200 روپے فی 40 کلوگرام کے سرکاری اعلان کے باوجود فی 40 کلو گرام ہے، جس میں گندم کی مناسب قیمت ہو جائے گا کو 1،300 روپے کی امدادی قیمت کے لئے ہماری درخواست اب بھی ہے اور کاشتکاروں کو بہتر فصل کے لئے کوششوں کو بنانے کے لئے حوصلہ افزائی کریں گے.
انہوں نے کہا کہ ہم نے 1،000 روپے فی ٹن کی امدادی قیمت کے لئے اس بات پر متفق ہیں، اگر حکومت ڈیزل، کھاد، بجلی کی شرح میں اور کیٹناشک یا اس سے بھی بھارتی قیمتوں کی طرح فراہم کرتا ہے، "انہوں نے کہا کہ. گزشتہ سال 1،050 روپے فی 40 کلو امدادی قیمت بھی دسمبر میں وفاقی حکومت کی طرف سے کیا گیا تھا کا اعلان کیا، جب بوائی تقریبا ملک بھر میں مکمل کیا گیا تھا اور حکومت نے گندم کی امدادی قیمت میں اضافہ کے مثبت نتیجہ حاصل کرنے میں ناکام رہی تھی. ، مغل نے کہا کہ اس سال حکومت نے نومبر میں امدادی قیمت کا اعلان کر دیا ہے، لیکن پھر بھی بہت دیر کی بوائی کے موسم نے پہلے ہی ختم ہو گیا ہے.
"گندم کی امدادی قیمت @ 1،300 روپے فی 40 کلوگرام کے اعلان کے ملک کے لیے کھانے میں خود انحصاری کو یقینی بنانے کے لئے اور کسانوں کو گندم کی فصل کے لئے اپنا مناسب آمدنی کے طور پر گندم اگانے والے ہمیشہ ایک امدادی قیمت میں اضافہ سے مثبت ہے جواب اگر یہ اعلان کیا ہے سے قبل بوائی کے موسم اور ملک میں ان سالوں میں بمپر گندم کی فصلوں کو دیکھا ہے، "انہوں نے مزید کہا کہ.



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گورنمنٹ گندم کی امدادی قیمت کے فیصلے پر نظرثانی کرنے پر زور

30 نومبر، 2012: پاکستان فلور ملز (PFMA) ایسوسی ایشن پنجاب حکومت پر زور دیا کہ گندم کی امدادی قیمت میں اضافہ کے طور پر یہ پہلے سے ہی بحران آٹے کی گھسائی کرنے والی صنعت کے تحت نہ صرف برباد کر دے گا کے اپنے فیصلے کا جائزہ لینے کے بلکہ کے لئے آٹے کی قیمتوں میں ناقابل برداشت اضافہصارفین.

PFMA پنجاب کے چیئرمین چوہدری عبدالجبار عاصم احمد رضا، لیاقت علی خان اور میاں ریاض سمیت جبکہ بدھ کے روز ایک پریس کانفرنس سے خطاب کرتے ہوئے کیا دیگر PFMA رہنماؤں کے ساتھ ساتھ اقتصادی سمنوی کمیٹی (ای سی سی) کے فیصلے کے گندم کی امدادی قیمت میں اضافہ کرنے کے کو مسترد کر دیا ہے. انہوں نے خبردار کیا کہ اس اضافے کے بعد تھیلا 750 روپے فی 20 کلو گرام آٹے کا تھیلا قیمت تک پہنچنے، جبکہ روپے کی گھسائی کرنے والی صنعت پر ایک ارب روپے کی اضافی بوجھ ڈال دے گا.

انہوں نے کہا کہ یہ بہتر ہے کہ اس اضافی رقم سے کھاد، بیج، بجلی اور ڈیزل کیونکہ یہ صرف مصنوعات کی خوشحالی نہیں یقینی بنانے کے لئے بلکہ سستی کی شرح پر صارفین کو آٹے کی فراہمی پر سبسڈی کے طور پر کاشتکاروں کو دی جانی چاہئے. PFMA پاکستان کے سابق چیئرمین عاصم رضا احمد نے اس کے رد عمل میں انہوں نے کہا کہ یہ حکومت کی ذمہ داری ہے کہ سستی کی شرح پر عوام کو آٹا فراہم کرنے تھے. لیکن جس طرح حکومت کو بڑھانے کی اس کی قیمتوں میں بھوک ایک دن عوام کی قیادت کر سکتے ہیں، انہوں نے حکومت پر تنقید کی ہے.

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Poor Cucumbers Deserve Some Respect

A cucumber should be well sliced, and dressed with pepper and vinegar, and then thrown out, as good for nothing .

Have you heard the phrase ‘cool as a cucumber’? Although cucumbers get added in your menus during the warm summer months when they are in season but they are also available year-round. It’s because they are rich in dietary fiber and have cold effect. It’s high water content gives it a very unique moist and cooling taste.Cucumbers are believed to be an ancient vegetable, originating in southern Asia around ten thousand years ago.

Have you ever imagined that cucumber is the vegetable which is used for so many variety of purposes in our daily life. This poor vegetable really deserves some respect . Why? You can find out below.

• It’s often relegated to the relish tray or salad bowl, or pickled and left to languish in the refrigerator. There are so many types of pickles made of cucumbers alone or with other vegetables. I find lots of varieties here in UAE. It’s sometimes pickled as a whole, sometimes sliced or diced in different shapes crying for help inside the enclosed chamber made of glass. It feels more offended when it sees the world around enjoying the freedom. What calms down is when it watches the other poor fellows of it’s species in the same situation.
• They are refreshing during sultry weather and can be more than an ingredient in salads. You see many types of salads with cucumbers. Sometimes peeled and mostly with skin on. I often have tried many salads at different restaurants and hotels as I love it. This miserable vegetable is sometimes tossed with olive oil, youghurt, cream or used for garnishing.

• Just ask the cooks around the world who use them in gazapacho, tzatziki and other dishes. I recently came to know that cucumbers are also cooked. Even when cooked – they can be delicious. It gets sauted in butter – cut into tiny footballs, yeah, footballs – and eaten as you would zucchini. A New York based, cook book author Julie sahni likes to cook cucumbers, with one caveat: ‘never overcook them.’ There is also cucumber juice that is considered very healthy and refreshing. You can find hundreds of recepies of cucumber juice on the web

Cucumbers come in dozens of varieties but are generally devided into two camps: slicers (smooth skin & large), and picklers (smaller in size & bumpier skin).

• Cucumbers are often used for skin remedies. People use them for removing eye wrinkles, dark circles under eyes, skin glow and smoothness, even for acne removal and blah blah blah. It’s mostly used in cosmetics to lighten,cool and moisturize the skin like in cleansers, lotions, soaps, creams and the list goes on….

• Recently I came to know that cucumber peel is used to get rid of ants in home. Just put the peel at the entrance from where the ants come out and they’ run away. Whta’s left to do with them now.

So, Pity the poor cucumbers please.
If not then try some of Cucumber Appetizers below:

• Use frim cucumbers, slice off ends. Remove several lengthwise strips of peel; do not peel completely.
• Slice into 1/2 -inch thick rounds.
• Sprinkle slices lightly with salt and let stand a few minutes.
• Rinse, place slices on paper towel; and pat dry with a secong towel.
• Top with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of a favourite flavoured spread. Or spread with cheese and top with a small curl of smoked salmon.
• Or top with smoked or salted chicken or mutton.

Enjoy it.
Interesting fact: The sea cucumber is not a vegetable but an animal that lives in the sea. It has a cucumber-like shape.

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AAB monitoring device, cultural practices and chemicals for management of mango tree mortality

By Dr. R. D. Khuhro, Dr. S. M. Nizamani, M. M. Jiskani and M. A. Talpur
Faculty of Crop Protection, Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam
Mango, Mangifera indica is one of the important fruits of Pakistan which is exported to many countries such as Dubai, Saudi Arabia, UK, Germany, France, Holland, Switzerland, Italy, Singapore and Malaysia. It is known as “King of Fruits” and is consumed both by poor and rich people in various forms. Mango is grown is tropical and sub-tropical countries of the world. In Pakistan, it is grown on large acreages of Sindh and Punjab provinces. There are numerous varieties of mango, each differing in fruit characters such as taste, flavour, colour, tinge, shape and size which determine the quality of the fruits and market value at home and abroad (Jiskani, 2002).

Mango tree plant suffers from various insect pests and diseases. Among insects, mango hoppers, fruit flies, thrips, scales, stem borers, shoot borers and mites are reported (Talpur and Khuhro, 2003; Soomro, 1988). Similarly, various diseases caused by fungi such as Fusarium, Aspergillus, Botryodiplodia, Penicillium and Colletotrichum are also reported on mango (Hafiz, 1986; Ramos et al., 1991 and 1997; Wagan et al., 200; Al-Adawi, 2005). During 2002-3 in Pakistan and Sindh, the mango was grown over an area of 102.8 and 46.5 thousand hectares and the production was 1034.6 and 335.9 thousand tones per hectare, respectively (Agha, 2004). Currently, mango trees are dying suddenly at the rate of 2-20%, depending upon severity of disease and management by the owners of mango orchards.

Causes

Asian ambrosia beetle (ABB) is considered as the primary cause of the mango mortality followed by different species of fungi. Basically, this is a management problem. The owners of mango gardens give their gardens on contract and forget about care of the garden whereas, contractors don’t apply proper fertilizer, cultural and plant protection practices as per requirement of the gardens. In this way, the problem of mortality in mango is multiplying. If this, scenario remain constant, we shall end up with mango cultivation and loose export exchange in next few years. The mango growers are warned to expend at least 10% of their income on management operations for the sustainability of mango fruit in their own interest and country at large; therefore, garden owners must not depend on contractors.

Characteristics of AAB

The Asian ambrosia beetle (ABB) has stout dark reddish-brown body and is reported as pest on broad host range including woody ornamentals, fruit and nut trees (Atkinson et al., 1988; Kovach, 1986). Schedl (1962) reported 124 hosts of ABB. The beetle has been collected and identified from various samples taken from dead or partially dead mango trees, Shisham, Gold Mohar, Gular, Neem, Eucalyptus, Siris Albizzia lebbek, rubber plant and Casia fistula from various ecological zones of Sindh. Only females have wings and disperse with small movement from infested and dead mango trees, wood logs/pieces and by its own short movements. These beetles are so tiny that initially attacked trees, don’t show symptoms. In case of severe infestation, the small pin head sized holes appear with the inside and outside movement of beetle on bark. The beetles excavate galleries in the branches, trunks, roots and twigs. The beetles introduce fungi complex in the mango tree and lay their eggs in clusters. In some mango trees no holes in bark appear but black spots on the basal parts of trunks are present. After cutting those barks, the light yellow paste with bad odour watery secretion flows. The beetles are also present in infested black basal part of the trunk. The gum like secretion/drops commonly known as gummosis oozes out from holes of trunks/branches of mango trees infested with beetle. The “C” shaped, legless, white grubs of beetle are found feeding on inner darkened portion of barks. From the infested trunk of the mango tree, the frass of the beetle is pushed out of galleries, in a typical tooth-pick fashion.

Management:

A. Asian ambrosia beetle monitoring device

· Various research experiments have been conducted and are in progress at Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam under Mango Research Project sponsored by Higher Education Commission, Islamabad. On the basis of these preliminary experimental results, it is suggested that apply sticky traps of 1sq.ft. size by pasting grease on plastic sheets (coated over cloth) at the rate of 10-15 traps per acre at the height of 1-3 ft from ground level for catching the winged female beetles. It was also observed that green colour sticky trap attracted more female beetles followed by black and other colours.

B. Cultural

· Regular monitoring of mango gardens for bark beetle and development of decline symptoms is compulsory.

· Prune diseased branches along with 4-5 inches of healthy portion with saw and apply bordeaux paste at the rate of 1:1:10 (1kg CuSO₄+1kg lime+10 liters of water)on the cut points in July-August.

· Removal and burning of diseased/dead mango trees including roots.

· Avoid wounding the trunks and roots during pruning, inter-culturing and fruit picking. In case of wounds, Bordeaux paste may be applied.

· Plowing/inter-culturing and other sanitation practices followed by pruning of gardens in July-August.

· Soil testing is compulsory for application of proper chemical fertilizers. Zinc sulphate and other macro and micro nutrients may be incorporated on the basis of soil testing.

· Proper irrigation application as and when required but not on the basis of availability of water.

C. Chemical

· Apply Lorsban 40 EC or any other systemic insecticide in combination with Alliete fungicide just after fruit setting.

· The same spray may be repeated at the interval of 15-21 days.

· Apply 3^rd spray in September/October.

Method of application

· Generally foliar pesticide is carried out but in this case washing of trunks and branches through spraying or similar to white wash is suggested.

The same pesticides can also be applied by drilling followed by injecting in main trunk and its primary branches deep up to 6".

Sorce: http://www.pakissan.com/english/advisory/aab.monitoringm.device.shtml

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Mango Varieties

Chaunsa Mango:

Flesh firm, fibreless with pleasant flavour and sweet taste. Juice moderately adundant. Fruit quality good, keeping good quality. Ripening season in August.

Season: July - September Origin: Rahim Yar Khan & Multan Color: Gold Flavor: Slight perfume Fiber: 17.2 - 27.3% Sugar Content: 18 - 22% Pulp Gravity: Heavy Moisture Content: 78% after ripening; 81% before ripening Weight: 1-2.3 Pounds Relative Humidity: 85%

Sindhri Mango:

Leading variety of Sind. Fruit shape ovalish long, size large, skin colour lemon yellow when ripe, pulp colour yellowish cadium, texture fine and firm fibreless, stone medium sized, flavour pleasantly aromatic and taste sweet.

Season: Mid-May to mid-July Origin: Mir Pur Khas Color: Gold Flavor: Slight Perfume Pulp Gravity: Medium Fiber: 3 - 5% Moisture Content (average): 79% after ripening; 18% before ripening Weight: Average 1 - 3.5 pounds Relative Humidity: 85%

Other Varieties of Mango

Langra:
It has originated as a superior chance seedling near Benares. Size medium to large, ovate, base round to slightly flatten, shoulders equal. Beak minute but distinct, sinus slight to absence, skin green and thin, flesh fibreless, yellowish brown in color, scented, highly melting, very sweet. Stone very small, flattened, oval. Weight of an average fruit is about ¼ kg. Fruit quality very good, bearing heavy. Season (Early to mid Season). 1st to 3rd week of July. Heavy yielder.

Amman Dusehri:
It derives its name form village between Lucknow and Malihabad where it was originated as a superior chance seedling. Size small to medium, oblong, ventral, shoulder higher than dorsal, beak and sinus absent, color yellow when ripe, skin thin, pulp fibreless, flesh firm, very sweet, flavor nice. Stone very small, oblong, variety good to very best, bearing heavy, mid season (July), keeping and peeling quality good.

Alphanso, Bombay:
This is a leading commercial variety of Bombay State and is one of the best in India. Because of its better adaptability to humid climate it has not been able to maintain its esteemed position in the dry districts of Pakistan. The Alphanso is successful in some districts of Sindh. Size medium, ovate, oblique, base obliquely flattened, Ventral structure boarder and much higher than dorsal, beak just a point, sinus not prominent, color of the ripe fruit yellow or brownish yellow, skin thin, pulp yellowish brown, flesh firm, taste very sweet, flavor excellent, almost fibreless. Fruit quality is good. Mid season variety harvested in July.

Sammar Bahisht:
It has originated as a superior chance seedling in Muzaffernager U.P. It got its name because of its pleasant flavor. Fruit medium, base slightly flattened, shoulders equal, sinus very light, beak point prominent, skin greenish yellow, thin, pulp yellow, very sweet, sparsely fibrous, flavor pleasant to delicious. Stone medium and oblong, oval. Quality of the fruit is very good, keeping and peeling qualities well. Ripening season July-August.

Fajrikalan:
It has originated as superior chance seedling in Bihar and gor its name after the name of lady Fajri who selected and brought up its trees. Size big, oblong, obliquely oval, base rounded, shoulder unequal, with ventral higher than the dorsal, beak distinct, sinus very shallow with rounded apex. Skin thin, pulp color pale, fibreless, taste sweet with pleasant flavor. Juice moderate to abundant. Stone large, oblong. Fruit quality good to very good bearing late season August, Keeping quality good.

Muhammadwala:
Size small to medium, skin thick, yellow brown, pulp sweet, juicy, stone medium sized, fiber very little. Very hard variety. Season early August.

Sammar Bahisht Chausa:
It is originated as choicest seedling in a village Chausa in Malihabad, Tehsil of Lucknow. It is also known as "Kajri" or "Khajri". There is resemblance between the foliage of Fajri and this variety but there are marked difference in fruit shape and quality. Fruit medium to large ovate to oval, base obliquely flattened, ventral shoulder raised than the dorsal, beak distinct, sinus shallow, apex round, skin medium in thickness, smooth, flesh firm, fibreless with pleasant flavor and sweet taste. Juice moderately abundant. Stone somewhat large oblong. Fruit quality good, bearing heavy, keeping quality medium to good. Ripening season in August (late).

Rataul (Anwar):
It has originated as a chance seedling in "Shohra-e-Afaq" Garden in Rataul. Now is has become popular in mango growing areas of Punjab because of its high flavor. Fruit medium, ovate, base flattened with equal shoulders, which are rounded, beak not prominent, absent in some cases, sinus absent, and apex round. Skin medium thick. Flesh firm, fibreless, flavor very pleasant, with very sweet taste. Juice moderately abundant. Some medium oval. Fruit quality very good. Ripening season in July (Mid-Season). Keeps well in storage.

Bangapali:
Another variety of Sindh. Fruit shape is obliquely oval, Size is big, length about 14 cm. Breadth 9.1 cm Thickness 8.2 cm. Weight 22.0 oz. Base obliquely flattened. Cavity not prominent. Stalk inserted obliquely. Shoulders ventral typically razed, broader and much more higher than dorsal. Back almost rounded. Skin color dark green and glazy when unripe. Yellowish light green with very light crimson patches when ripe. Surface smooth, shining. Dots small distinct. Glands small, crowded.

Neelam:
Quality variety of Sindh. Fruit shape ovate, size small, length 7.7cm breath 5.9cm thickness 5.6cm weight 5.0oz. The base is rounded. Stalk inserted squarely. Cavity slight to absent, Shoulders unequal. Ventral is higher than dorsal, back rounded. Sinus slight to shallow, Beak acute to obtuse. Apex rounded, Skin color sea green when unripe & yellow with reddish tinge when ripe. Surface smooth. Small dots with numerous small glands.

Mango Export 2000-2001

Th etotal production (estimated) is 988 thousand tonns. The total export during this is 183 thousand tonns with value of 3,453 million ruppees.
Source: Source: Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, Federal Bureau of Federal Bureau of Statistics

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Modernization of poultry farming

By Asif Maqbool, Naeem Sarwar and Khuda Baksh

Every community in the world is responsible to provide its residents adequate food and guarantee them freedom from hunger and malnutrition.

It becomes especially important when about 15-20 per cent of the world population is still unable to obtain sufficient food to meet minimum nutritional requirements for a healthy and productive life.

The current poor nutritional status is due to lack of sufficient energy and protein in the food. A balanced diet is essential for good health, vigour and productive capacity of the people. Protein plays an important role in the formation of balanced human diet. There are mainly two origins of proteins, animal and plant.

The human diet in Pakistan is deficient with respect to proteins of animal origin. At present 66 per cent of the people are deficient in protein. The requirement of protein is 102.7 gram per head per day while the available protein is 69.61 gram per head per day. The gap in requirement of protein is 33.09 gram. The main source of animal protein is beef, mutton, milk, poultry meat and eggs.

In developing countries like Pakistan where the population is growing at a faster rate, the gap in production of food especially of animal origin is widening year after year.

The animal protein shortage seems still more grave especially when it is compared with the protein intake of various developed countries like U.S.A., Canada, Germany, France, Japan and U.K., where consumption of protein is 79-95 gram per capita per day of which 46-65 gram is protein of vegetable origin.

The nutrition dilemma demands a special focus to overcome the existing deficiencies with particular reference to protein deficiency and availability from animal source.

To overcome the animal protein gap, poultry meat seems to offer much better prospects. It is capable of providing protein in terms of quality and can narrow the animal protein supply gap in minimum possible time as compared to other sources of animal protein.

Until 1964, poultry production was a cottage industry in Pakistan. The management and production on modern scientific lines was not known and disease control measures were also not sufficient.

In 1964, PIA shaver laid the foundation of commercial poultry production by introducing new and improved breeds of layers and broilers and by Lever Brothers with production of poultry feed on modern lines.

Government on her part, exempted this industry from income tax and sales tax, allowed export of table eggs, day old chicks and broiler on subsidized rates. Poultry production now has emerged as a good substitute of beef and mutton.

This table shows that poultry is developing in our country in spite of problems this industry is facing. However, along with this expansion, the poultry raisers lament the low economic returns on their products and consumers in street protest against high cost of poultry which is due to high marketing margin.

The poultry industry faces problems like the incidence of diseases, substandard and costly feed and inefficient marketing system. In all stages of development, there is a need for improving the efficiency and lowering the cost of distribution.

An economical marketing system can help the producers sell their products at reasonable prices and the consumers to buy their needs at minimum cost. If we want to survive in post-WTO scenario, we should give emphasis on quality and price. In a competitive environment only those products will be accepted by consumers which are of good quality and are also available at reasonable price.

Losses occur in case of death of birds due to diseases and poor handling. Grading is largely ignored in egg trade because of extra cost required for grading. Transportation is the most important component of marketing system. In economic sense, transportation means the moving of goods from surplus production areas to deficient areas.

For marketing of eggs and birds, the commission agents and retailers use various means of transportation to take produce to the market. Bicycle, motorcycle, wagons and donkey carts are being used for transportation.

The higher losses during transportation are due to longer distance, bumpy roads and lack of modern packing techniques. Poultry farmers don't get fair returns. They put a lot of effort in increasing and developing their business but the commission agents usually get the produce from them at low prices and earn a lot of profit by selling at a higher price.

Poultry farmers should do their job both as producer as well as commission agents. So, they can earn more profit out of their business. To improve the present marketing system of poultry, following suggestions may be helpful:

• To curtail breakage losses, packing and distribution system should be modernized

• Government should take immediate steps to improve the roads, for timely and quickly delivery of produce.

• To enhance economic viability of the poultry industry, the prices of feed and medicines should be kept within reasonable limits.

• Poultry coordination boards should be established at federal as well as provincial level to stabilize and maintain quality prices.

• Lack of grading at farm level dos not promote the quality of eggs at a price premium. So practice of grading at producer's level would be encouraged and price information on the basis of grades and standards should be regularly collected and disseminated.

• Inadequate health facilities are one of the major constraints in poultry production. It is due to viral, bacterial infection and parasitic infestation. For this, a long run vaccination and de-worming campaign policy should be started at national level.

• Government should construct veterinary laboratory for drug residue testing in the poultry products. This will ensure quality in exported products.

• Steps should be taken to improve sanitary and hygienic conditions of birds casing processing units.

Courtesy: The DAWN

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Pre –Brooding Management of chicks

By Mohsin Shabbir
University of Agriculture,Faisalabad,Pakistan
DEFINITION

All the managemental practices before brooding or before receiving the chicks in other sense various measures, which we provide in preparation for new-hatched chicks arriving at our farm.

We will study different factors, which play very important role in the process of pre-brooding management and main purpose of this process is to avoid different diseases, which cause great economical losses due to poor managemental practices, Prevention is most and best economical method of disease control. Prevention is best achieved by the use of sanitation and biosecurity programmes.

Poultry house sanitation begins with a clean sanitized house prepared well in advance of arrival of chicks. Each house should remain empty at least two weeks after, it is disinfected and fumigate .The effectiveness of sanitizing a house is depended upon the extend of the cleaning before the germicide is applied. This cleaning helps to control disease because,

a) It reduces number of pathogenic organisms.

b) Remove material that helps in multiplication of pathogens.

c) Expose surface to the disinfectant and fumigants.

Phases in the Procedure
In the process of pre-brooding management following measures are generally considered for taking good results.

A- Selection of area

B- Cleaning

C- Removal of litter

D- Clean the equipment

E -Dusting/web removal

F - Repairing

G - White Washing

H- Disinfection

I- Fumigation

J- Provision of different materials

K-Equipment testing

L- Arrival of chicks

A-Selection of area
Most important factors, is the selection of area in the shed .The house should be cleaned and disinfected, immediate preparation is necessary so that the building may lie empty for one to two weeks prior to placing new chicks in them.

Disinfection and fumigation will kill most of the disease-producing organisms. An empty house will break the life cycle of pathogens. This process reduces the chances of infection and if shed fenced around property it will save birds from predators. At least 80--100 feet away from other sheds with minimum traffic is suitable. There has been increasing numbers of objections from residence near poultry sites claim that they suffer nuisance to the quality of their lives but also causes ill health. Good ventilation and environmental conditions will greatly help in reducing smell. Good management of environment is best way to reduce complaint smell and manure.

B-Cleaning
There is no hope of overall hygiene process being fully effective if there is any much left in the house. There are basics flaws in the construction allowing penetration of the structure by the pathogens for example previous services, poor protection of joints wear on floors and inaccessibility of certain parts such as ventilators. The cleaning process must involve following.

C- Removal of litters
Old litter should remove from the poultry house if it is piled near the house, rats and vermin may carry the residual disease back into the house.

D- Clean the equipment
All equipment must be washed with Kmno4 and disinfected .The equipment should be moved outside the house in sun an area inside the fenced enclosure to complete the cleaning process. The equipment should be moved back into the house.

a) House ceiling and walls

Remove dusty walls and ceiling with moderate volume of water. Using boiling water is most effective and economical method for disinfection purpose.

b) Clean out old feed

Unused feed should not hold over from one brood of birds to the next feed bins and feeders should be completely cleaned.

E-Dusting/Web removal
Once litter has been removed the next priority should be removal of numerous spider web that bloom here and there on walls, flying birds often enter in the sheds and build nests in ceiling, these should be removed.

F-RepairingDuring this period done all the repairing work like repairing work of gas pipes, brooders, electricall equipments, windows and doors.

Wash House
Wash ceiling walls floor with generous amounts of water. Preferably add some detergent to wash house. Next all cracks crevices in the wall floor or ceiling should be filled up. All leakage in the gas pipes or water pipes should be sealed, electric short circuit should be corrected and fuse etc should be replaced.

G-Disinfection
A basic essential is that disinfection programme must be most carefully planned. The disinfection of a building implies the elimination from the house all microorganism that are capable of causing disease. Follow the manufacture instruction carefully and make sure that the disinfection has proven active against the pathogens.

H-Fumigation
This is the very important procedure to give a final boost to the disinfection programme, at this stage the house is setup ready for the next crop for this purpose formaldehyde gas is most suitable. The shed should be properly sealed before fumigation 17.5 gram Kmno4 and 35 CC formaline can be used for fumigation.

I-Provision of material

i) Litter

Put the litter in the selected area, there should be ample supply of relevant material e.g rice husk, saw dust litter should be economical, comfortable and absorbent, saw dust may be from hard wood or soft wood while using for chicks soft wood saw dust should be used because hard wood contains tannin which will be eaten by chicks and result in high mortality due to vent pasting .Try to cover saw dust by newspaper or paper so that chicks cannot eat it in the beginning.

ii) Feed

For starter you may use ground maize, which is easily digestible and due to its high fiber content reduce pasting problem. It is a good source of energy.

iii) Fuel
In case you are using kerosene oil, wood or coal burning brooders, you should have stocks of relevant fuel.

iv) Equipment testing
Never forget the functional capability of your brooders. The burners should be controlled properly. The gas or electric supply should be proper.

ARRIVAL OF CHICKS
Following precautionary measures may be undertaken at the arrival of chicks.

i) The chicks should be arrive early in the morning so that you have full day to observe them and take care of them.

ii) Place the chick guard (2-3 feet from the edge and increase area weekly this will reduce cannabalism and increase feed utilization.

iii) Do flushing at start for this use 250gm sugar/gallon of water, which is mixed to provide carbohydrate to chick and clear the digestive tract.

iv) Use ground maize for 2-3 days for feeding because it contains more fibers, which is easily digestible.

v) Use certain broad-spectrum antibiotics for 5 to 7 days. If chicks are healthy, then use for 3 days and if there is infection then give about for 7 days to reduce the outbreak.e.g:

· Tribrisin 1 c c/gallon of water.

· Erythro F.Z 4 tea spoon/gallon of water.

· Oxytetracycline 11% 125 gm/gallon of water.

vi) Brooder temperature should be kept at 90-95F each week and don’t go less than 75F.This temperature should be recorded at the height of about two inches above the litter on the outer edge.

vii) Farm manager should be present and ever alert, count the number of the chicks, closely regulates temperature of shed and of the brooder and above all observes closely, all requirements of birds.

Source: http://www.pakissan.com/english/allabout/livestock/poultry/pre.brooding.management.of.chicks.shtml

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Wheat: Planning for better yield (بہتر پیداوار کے لئے منصوبہ بندی: گندم)

The wheat is sown the world over on an area touching 220 million hectares producing 600 million tons with an average of 2700 kg. of grain per hectare.

The Main land China brings 30 million hectares the largest are in the world followed by Russian Federation, India, USA, Australia, Canada, Turkey and Pakistan.

As far as the highest yield is concerned, France produces 7200 kg per hectare. Who leads other countries because it has much longer growing season of winter wheat? It is rather more appropriate to compare our wheat grain yields with countries of similar climatic and eco-zones, like Mexico and Egypt. Their yields are much higher owing both genetic constitution of cultivars and environment provided to them to express their biological potential.

Since Mexico and Pakistan are located in analogous ecological zones therefore, introduction of Mexican varieties in the country in sixties verities in the country in sixties ushered an era of green revolution. But unfortunately the pace of development could not be maintained for long and we now lag much behind the Mexican yields, who have gone for ahead of us producing 3900 Kg. of wheat grain per hectare as compared to 2491 K. for us in the year 1999, the best season. According to FAO statistics for 1995, among spring wheat growing countries Egypt has fantastic yield by producing 5422 kg. of grain per hectare where as Indian Punjab producing 4090 kg. and even India leads us in average yield by producing 2559 kg. notwithstanding three times largest area as compared to ours.

In our country wheat is cultivated largely (80 per cent), in irrigated areas whereas, rest in rain-fed. The yield and production in latter part of the country is predominantly controlled by rains during growing season, which usually are erratic. Hence yields are much lower during season of low precipitation.

There are of course three kinds of wheat cultivars, the long duration, the medium and short duration varieties. The wheat yields usually start declining after 20th Nov sowing at the rate of 20 kg per day.

Hence efforts must be made to plant it at optimum time. In cotton areas the sticks are by and large used as fuel in domestic house hold. Big heaps of cotton sticks can be seen along the roadside and in villages.

There is a great need to educate growers as to how much yield is last due to burning of sticks. So as to restores the soil fertility at least 80 per cent sticks may be buried in soil. In order to enhance the decomposition half a bag of urea per acre may be incorporated in the soil after the stick burial.

In view of numerous benefits through the addition of organic matter from cotton sticks, may be made mandatory for each farmer. In case wheat sowing is delayed owing to late maturity of cotton, wheat may be sown in standing crop, if there is low or no incidence of weeds. However in rice tract wheat should be sown on proper time immediately after crop harvest. In rice zone a sizable area must be brought under this season legumes, the chickpeas and lentils. It is of course not so difficult to reap their yields up to 1000 kg per acre, which will bring more finances to the growers as compared to raising wheat.

Adequate quantity of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash may be applied to harvest maximum grain. If phosphorus is added adequately it will not only help to realize good harvest, the following crop of cotton shall utilize the remaining residual phosphorus, without adding more of this element to cotton.

In my opinion there are three main factors, which largely contribute towards low wheat yields, the optimum time of sowing, prevalence of high intensity of weeds, imbalance use of fertilizer. The low level of organic matter is also important for holding the yield. In irrigated areas the crop is generally sown either after the harvest of cotton or paddy.

In most of the cases it is customary that farmers neither add organic matter nor farmyard manure to maintain fertility, thus resulting in low yields. In order to sow wheat at optimum time the cotton breeders in collaboration with cotton agronomists must try to reduce the life span of cotton crop without hampering the yield and deteriorating the quality of lint. In this way not only have substantial saving on the management of cotton but also timely sowing of wheat to realize maximum yields. As far as weeds are concerned it is estimated that decline in wheat yield ranges from 15 to 40 per cent or even more in some cases, which is indeed a great loss towards food self-sufficiency.

As my experience goes tit is much worst in certain localities where it appears as if wheat is an unwarted and obnoxious plant. It is in fact a glaring negligence on the part of extension workers and the grower himself.

The extension workers with the help of farmers may try to delineate the areas of high infestation of "Dumbi Sitti" and wild oats.

The farmers in such areas may be advised to control them through agronomic practices or herbicide treatment or removing the weed plants just after earring because at that stage it is easy to differentiate between both the weed and wheat plants.

If these weeds are not controlled now they will spread like a wild fire in coming years in whole of wheat areas. Thee weeds have capability to produce large quantities of seed, which is always shed before wheat harvest. Henceforth infestation increases at an alarming pace. These two weeds along with "It Sit" can be used as biological warfare in agriculture. On the other hand in barani areas "Pohalli" is quite a common weed, which can be easily seen while travelling by air, road or rail after the harvest of wheat.

The abundance of this weed undoubtedly is a main factor for low yield in the area. The Pohalli remain green much after harvest of crop. At that time it is an appropriate time to launch a campaign to eradicate it by uprooting and burning. Two or three exercise will help to whip out the weed in barani areas. Henceforth this year may be declared a Pohalli eradication year. The road sides and sides of rail tracks may also be cleared of it.

The pace of yield increase per hectare during past twenty years has been awfully poor rather frustrating since 1980 to 01. The population growth however, over whelmed the increase in yield per unit area therefore; the enlarged demand of wheat consumption was met by bringing more area under crop.

Which certainly is not a good omen. But for how long increase in area under crop shall come to our rescue. This problem has to be tackled through serious and wise planning and execution.

First of all we shall have to get rid of non-technocrats from lowest level to highest in the ministry of food, agriculture and livestock and induct able selfless agricultural scientists but not the pseudo ones. More funds have to be infused for research and transfer of technology. At the same time we must motivate the general public to diversify the so-called dietary pattern, is greatly imbalanced, which required to be substituted by balanced through intake of nutritive food, so as to reduce unnecessary burden on wheat. Besides this we must substantially boost yield per unit area. Thus placing this area under oil seeds, vegetables, fruits, pulses, and flowers. Also considerable area may be brought under fodder to raise ore animals for milk and meat production. Last but not the least we ought to arrest population growth.

With the improvement in agronomic practices we must try to equate with Egyptian or across the Punjab wheat yields in less than three or at the most five years.

Storage facilities: There are many stored grain pests, which destroy a considerable quantity of produce while in store in villages. Efforts may be made to eliminate the losses. If these losses are controlled it is possible that we may not have to import food grains any longer.


Courtesy Daily Dawn, 10 December 2001

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Wheat

Wheat

	Wheat (Triticum spp.) is a worldwide cultivated grass from the Fertile Crescent region of the Near East. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize (784 million tons) and rice (651 million tons). Wheat grain is a staple food used to make flour for leavened, flat and steamed breads, biscuits, cookies, cakes, breakfast cereal, pasta, noodles, or biofuel. Wheat is planted to a limited extent as a forage crop for livestock, and the straw can be used as fodder for livestock or as a construction material for roofing thatch.
	National Out-Look Wheat is the main staple food item of the country’s population and largest grain crop of the country. It contributes 13.1 percent to the value added in agriculture and 2.8 percent to GDP. The size of wheat crop is provisionally estimated at 23.4 million tons, 11.7 percent more than last year crop. SOURCE: Economic Survey of Pakistan 2008-09 International Out-Look World wheat production for 2009/10 is projected up 3.8 million tons this month to 671.9 million, down just 10.8 million tons, or 1.6 percent, from the record year of 2008/09...more SOURCE: USDA [Nov, 2009] Area, Production & Yield Advisory Year Area [000 hec] Production [000 tons] Yield [Kg/hec] 2006-07 8,578 23,295 2,716 2007-08 8,550 20,959 2,451 2008-09 (P) 9,062 23,421 2,585 P= Provisional [Jul-March] SOURCE: MinFAL,
	Source: http://www.pakissan.com/english/allabout/crop/wheat/index.shtml

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FAP for Rs 1400 per 40kg wheat support price

November 16, 2012


Farmers Associates Pakistan (FAP) has recommended the government to fix the wheat support price around Rs 1,400 per 40 kilograms for the next crop, warning that in other case farmers may go for other crops which fetch more profit. This was disclosed at FAP's 121st meeting held here the other day chaired by Afaq Ahmad Tiwana (CEO) along with President Dr Tariq Bucha.

The meeting basically discussed the emerging importance of Biotech crops to resolve future requirements of food and feeds and solid solution pertaining to land and water needs thereby the introduction of drought and salinity resistant crops. During other discussions, FAP members were informed that FAP has taken up wheat support price issue with the government and recommended that it should be around Rs 1,400 per maund for the next crop otherwise many farmers will not sow wheat as they would rather go for other crops, which fetch more profit like Canola, etc.

The House was also given the costing of wheat by the FAP leadership claiming that the international wheat price US 290 Dollars per ton. The price FOB Karachi, the meeting stated would be Rs 27,840 per ton. After including import expenses plus withholding tax this rate would come to Rs 30,624 per ton or Rs 30.624 per kilogram. Thus landed cost of the 40 kilograms wheat would come to Rs 1,224 (Ex-Karachi) and after adding transportation charges (at the rate of Rs 5 per kilograms) it would come to Rs 1,425 per 40 kilograms for the consumers.

The House also raised question regarding MFN Status to India where both insensitive and negative list there is no mention of any agricultural products. The House demanded to take up with government to make a special MFN regarding agriculture sector as heavy subsidies are given to agriculture products in India whereas no subsidies are practically available for farmers in Pakistan.

The farmers unanimously voiced their concern and offered full support to FAP management under whose leadership all the farmers are ready and if needed they will initiate a march to Islamabad in December 2012 and if not listened to by the government, then, maybe, they physically stop the agricultural products from India till the resolution of this matter. Discussing the prevailing rice prices in the market, the meeting was informed that at the moment Basmati is selling at Rs 1,800 and if farmers are ready to hold till December, it might touch Rs 2,000.

The meeting observed that the situation is more or less satisfied. The House is very vocal about local support price announced by the government regarding to sugar cane crop. The member said that at present the production cost is Rs 195 and the price should have been fixed around Rs 220 to make a reasonable profit. The members also agitated the cold attitude both in Punjab and Sindh where the farmers are not paying on time and refusing to buy on declared support price.

The meeting further observed that according to a recent report as against the set target of 14 million bales in view of rain it was now reassessed to be around 12.5 million bales. The House was informed that FAP has asked the government to intervene and stop import of cotton from Brazil and India, which is hurting the farmer as price of cotton is much lower than the cost incurred.

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Genomics to improve farming

By Ijaz Ahmad Rao

Biotechnology is having an increasingly important impact on various sectors and disciplines. Combined with genomics, proteomics and metabolomics, biotechnology can greatly aid our ability to confront the challenges of production, management, and sustainability of agriculture and economic development.

It can enhance crops yield and quality, develop stress-tolerant crop varieties, improve nutritional content of foods and neutralise effect of food contaminants, and find new ways to face threats to bio-security.

These issues were discussed at a recent international symposium on “Genomics, Proteomics, Metabolomics: Recent Trends in Biotechnology” held by the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics (MMG), University of The Punjab, in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission, National Biotechnology Commission, Core Group in Biological Sciences.

More than 190 delegates, some from Europe, participated in the symposium whose main objective was to provide new ways to use animal, plants and microbes, in order to improve quality of environment and economic sustainability of a country, to commercialise indigenous technologies and to help bridge the gap between global scientific communities in terms of existing and expanding frontiers of genomics, proteomics and metabolomics.

Environmental and political considerations have created a growing demand for plants-derived bio-fuels like ethanol and bio-diesel. It is appropriate that Pakistan should support research efforts in genomics and proteomics. It has enormous potential in agricultural both in cropping and livestock sectors. There is a need to fill actual productivity and potential productivity gap by adopting appropriate strategies and modern technologies to meet such problems as low resource use efficiency in agriculture, land degradation, water-logging and salinity, low organic matter, and low level of technology.

Despite continued progress in genetic improvement, optimal levels of crop productivity or desirable nutritional balance has not yet been achieved. Seed metabolism must be modified substantially to produce food-feed as well as industrial and medical products to satisfy future evolving societal demands. Such modifications need integration seamlessly into the complex but poorly understood processes of seed metabolism and development. Genomics offer new opportunities to address seed performance and productivity, to develop nutritionally desirable seeds, and to achieve industrial and pharmaceutical applications.

Collaborations between genomic researchers and plant breeders are crucial to enhance crops yield. With the help of tools of modern biotechnology and methods of genomics and proteomics, our future challenges of food, feed and energy sectors can be addressed. This new knowledge will change the future of breeding for improved strains of all domesticated species of crops, livestock, fish, and trees either through transgenomics or genomics-based conventional breeding.

“The first plant genome that has been completely sequenced is a small model species, Arabidopsis thaliana. The genomic sequencing of economically important crops is also being undertaken”. The most advanced are the several public and private gene sequencing projects on rice, all of which are now in the public domain. A maize genome-sequencing project is also in progress. Rice, maize and other cereals share a large number of common genes.

Several other genome sequencing projects of at least 130 different plant species are in progress. The plant genetic resources are the vital components of plant biodiversity, precious heritage of mankind, therefore they need to be collected and conserved before they are lost for ever.

There are about 6,000 plant species in Pakistan; out of these only 1,010 species are identified as having medicinal value. Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) established a “gene bank” at the Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology and Genetic Resources (IABGR) and the National Agricultural Research Center (NARC), which contains more than 30,000 genes and DNA of different plant species. The germplasm of major cereals, minor cereals, food legumes, oilseeds, vegetables, fruits, fiber crops, fodder and forages and medicinal plants are available from this ‘gene bank” for scientists and researcher for the development of new varieties. More recently PARC has established with NARC a new institute the National Institute for Genomics and Advance Biotechnology (NIGAB); which will conduct research on structural and functional genomic of both plants and animals.

In Pakistan, there are hundreds of scientists working at more than 29 centres conducting biotech research in different areas. These institutions have, to their credit, a number of major achievements in modern biotechnology. A few of them have developed plant expression vectors for the introduction of foreign genes into crops like Bt pesticidal genes used in cotton and rice against bollworm, rice leaf-folder, top leaf bore in sugarcane.

The use of new techniques for understanding and modifying the genetically modified organisms (GMO) has led to understanding the role of proteins through proteomics and metabolomics in order to have better knowledge of multi proteins expressed in a particular plant in specific environmental condition. These developments have been accompanied by public concerns as to the power of the new technologies and the safety and ethics of their use for improving human health, agriculture and the environment.

Scientists are trying to explore how genetics and environmental factors work together to cause human diseases which can be helpful in the prevention and treatment of many illnesses and as well as individualise the therapeutical strategies. There are extensive efforts under way to identify the genetic and environmental basis of common diseases like cancer, asthma and diabetes. The present challenge is how emerging scientific discoveries, such as those in the rapidly evolving fields of genomics, proteomics and metabolomics, amongst others, can be translated into safe applications leading to new varieties of crops, drugs and products.
Courtesy: The DAWN

 

Source: http://www.pakissan.com/english/advisory/biotechnology/genomics.to.improve.farming.shtml

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