LAHORE Punjab Seed Corporation Managing Director Altaf Aizad has said that Punjab Chief Minister is keen to facilitate the growers to enhance per acre yield in the province. Addressing the Aiwan-e-Waqt Forum the MD said that the corporation sells the high quality seeds to the farmers at nominal rates with a view to improve crop production. He suggested that small farmers can be provided agri inputs on cheaper rates through cooperative societies. Earlier he called on the Nawa-e-Waqt Group Editor-in-Chief Majid Nizami at his office and paid him tribute for his great services in the field of journalism. He said that the Punjab Seed Corporation (PSC) is enjoying full confidence of growers of the country as it is providing them high quality seeds at very affordable prices since 1976. He said that PSC functioning has end the monopoly of mutli-national companies in seed sector. He said that corporation is busy in provision of high yielding certified seeds produced at PSC agricultural research farms under the supervision of agricultural scientists. He further added that 65 new varieties of different crops have been approved during present regime, as the lions share of available resources is being diverted to develop agriculture on modern lines in the province, as this particular sector is top priority of the government to achieve self-sufficiency and self-reliance on sustainable basis. He urged the farmers to grow latest high yielding approved varieties to make country self-sufficient in agricultural commodities, paving way for increasing agricultural exports for earning precious foreign exchange. In response to a question, he said that the seeds produced at these farms are later certified by the Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department that they are free of all sorts of adulteration and have quality of its germination. He informed that PSC buys seeds from its registered growers and later it is passed through different scientific processes. New approved varieties have more yield potential and resistance to insect pests and diseases. The breeders of these new approved varieties briefed the participants about production technology of the varieties developed with extensive research.