Quality Seed Production seminar

FAISALABAD Feb 16: It is a matter of grave concern that the country is having negligible seed processing industry where promotion of seed industry will help increase productivity as a step towards food security. It was stated by speakers on seed procession challenges and opportunities in quality seed production arranged by the PSDP Seed Project team at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad. Engineer Shabi Hassan Provincial Project Manager Punjab Seed Corporation and Dr Aslam Yousuf Seed Technology Consultant were the guest speakers and Lead Principal Investigator Quality Seed Project Dr Irfan Afzal from UAF also spoke. Engineer Shabi Hassan said that out of 1700 seed companies in the county, the only few have the seed processing technology. He said that the seed processing ensures the quality in the stock of the seed given for processing. He said the unit performs the drying, fine clearance, moisture maintain (essential for shelf life), gravity separation, weed separators and others. He briefed about the functioning of the machine. Dr Aslam Yousuf said that seed processing does not improve the seed quality. It only takes low quality seed out of the bulk. He said that processing can add the seed physical purity, size uniformity, vigour uniformity, storage life, and seed treatment. Dr Irfan Afzal called for tangible steps to flourish the seed processing units. He said that they were working with different universities on the quality seed and processing including Karakarum University Gilgit Baltistan , Lasballe University of Agriculture and others. He said that they were also establishing seed centers in Narowal and Quetta.