A Pakistani agricultural expert has developed a cotton seed that can survive temperatures up to 50°C. This innovation seed also persist pests without the need for chemical sprays.
Federal Minister for Planning, Ahsan Iqbal, inspected a cotton crop grown from this seed in Lahore. He stated that this seed, created after 20 years of research, could revolutionize Pakistan’s cotton industry. He emphasized the need to promote modern agriculture to tackle climate change effectively.
In an exclusive conversation with Dawn News, Ahsan Iqbal shared that agricultural engineer Javed Saleem Qureshi developed the heat-resistant cotton seed. The seed fights pests naturally, without any spray.
He reiterated that this crop, backed by 20 years of effort, has the potential to bring a major breakthrough in cotton production. Promoting such agricultural innovation is crucial in facing the impacts of climate change.
Ahsan Iqbal pointed out that Pakistan’s cotton production has dropped from 15 million bales to just 5 million in a few years. He urged the private sector to invest in agricultural research like Javed Saleem Qureshi. He said increasing yield and reducing costs would benefit both the economy and agricultural.
