Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah on Monday said that quality seed was vital to increase agricultural productivity and ensure food security amid the situation of climate changes, diminishing agricultural land and ever-increasing population.

He inaugurated the Seed Exhibition and addressed the second Pakistan Seed Congress themed seed security for sustainable agriculture arranged by the Center for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security, University of Agriculture Faisalabad.
The Minister added that the government is committed to uplift the agricultural sector which is a backbone of our economy and contributes 21 percent to the Gross Domestic Product. He said that Pakistan was an agrarian country and our majority population was associated with the sector. He urged the researchers and scientists to develop climate resilient new crop varieties. The seed was the basic input for the sustainable agriculture.
He said that the government had brought ‘Kissan Package to give relief to farming community, enabling them to cultivate the crops and to address their problems. He said that steps are afoot to upgrade the seed sector in the country to increase the agricultural productivity. He said that the government had reduced the prices of inputs and lower down the prices of electricity for the farmers that will cut the cost of production. He said that the government was also providing free seed to the farming community. He said that farmers were facing the different challenges including low productivity, water scarcity, less profit etc. He said that the government was revamping the agricultural policy to address the problems of the farming community and increase the productivity for the population .
UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that the agricultural productivity in the major crops was facing the stagnant. He said that availability of quality seed was the problem for the farming community for which measures are needed. He said that certified seed fulfills the demands of 27 percent of the farmers whereas the rest of the demand is fulfilled from the farmers’ own field. He said that the University had introduced Seed Technology as the major in degree programmes. He said that Seed Centre was established to conduct the research and preserve the germplasm. He said that as you sow, so shall you reap. Therefore, the quality seed is prerequisite to get the good agri productivity. He said
Pakistan Seed Promotion Alliance President Dr Shakeel Ahmad Khan called for providing the enabling environment for seed sector. He said that agriculture sector faces the daunting challenges of climate change the adoption of innovative crop varieties complemented with quality seed to the farming community. He said seed act is the hallmark step to address the issue at the national level and there is a dire need to aware the masses about the act and its implementation. He said professionals trained in seed policy, regulations, storage and handling issues would help the county to overcome the problems in the seed sector.
Mian Nawaz Shareef University of Agriculture Multan Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Asif Ali said that we are importing vegetable seeds. If we develop the seed industry, we can save millions of the rupees. He said that the country was blessed with tremendous resources there was a need to tap the potential. He said that the climate changes were damaging the agricultural productivity. There is a need to develop climate resilient varieties.
Chairman Plant Breeding and Genetic Dr Hafeez A Sadaqat said that collective focus and interaction of academia, industry and seed professionals would help improve the situation of seed sector in the country. He said that all out efforts were being made on the part of the varsity to address the issue and conducting the tangible researches on the issues.
Dr Kent Bradford from the University of California said breeders should include the quality seed quality traits. He stressed upon the need to package the crop protection into seeds as with disease and insects resistances.