LAHORE - Pioneer in introducing high yielding hybrid varieties of coarse rice, Guard Agriculture Research and Services Private Ltd (GUARD) has now focused to develop a hybrid of ‘Basmati’ rice with an average per acre yield of 80 maunds and average grain length of 8mm and above.

‘We are very near to achieve our targets after a hard work of five to six years. Our scientists in collaboration with the Chinese partners have developed 13 CMS lines out of which one variety is giving 75 maund per acres and average grain length of 7 mm, slightly short of the target of 80 maund per acre,’ said Chief Executive Guard Agri Shahzad Ali Malik. Members of the Agriculture Journalists Association (AJA) and Lahore Economic Journalists Association (LEJA) visited Guard head office here on Monday to know the role of hybrid rice varieties in ensuring food security. SAARC Chamber of Commerce & Industry Vice President Iftikhar Ali Malik, LCCI President Syed Almas Hyder, Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan’s nominated chairman for next year Shahjahan Malik and Pir Nazim Hussein Shah were also present on this occasion.

Malik said that scientists have been given the task that the variety they develop should be heat & drought tolerant and salinity resistant. He said that Guard started working on the development of basmati hybrid in 2014 and after six years of industrious research is near its target. Established in 1989, Guard is involved in basic as well as applied research for the development of hybrid rice varieties in collaboration with Longping High-Tech Industries and have achieved full technology transfer in the field of hybrid rice with a feather, of being market a leader in hybrid rice seed, in its cap, he said.

Guard commercialized Super Basmati in 1991, which was eventually approved by government in 1997 for commercial cultivation after 40 per cent of Punjab area came under its cultivation. The Company so far has developed 08 different rice hybrids for general cultivation in Pakistan with first seed company developing such a big number of hybrids and starting local hybrid seed production.

Malik said that since the introduction of hybrid rice in Sindh, the income of rice farmers has doubled due to the double yield of hybrid rice as compared to IRRI varieties.

Due to early maturing hybrid rice crop, timely sowing of Rabi crops is ensured. Timely sown Rabi crops give positive and significantly increase in per-unit production / per acre yield which consequently increases farmer income.