Pakistan’s Variety Evaluation Committee Recommends 10 High-Yielding Pulses Varieties to Boost Agricultural Production

Islamabad, The Variety Evaluation Committee (VEC) of Pulses, part of the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), has recommended 10 high-yielding varieties of pulses aimed at revolutionizing agricultural production in Pakistan. This move is designed to help the country achieve self-reliance in pulses, a key component of food security and nutrition.

According to Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, the VEC meeting, chaired by Member Plant Sciences Division (PSD) Dr. Imtiaz Hussain, brought together representatives from the Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department (FSC and RD), the Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFS and R), and scientists from various pulses research institutes across Pakistan. Dr. Muhammad Mansoor, National Coordinator Food Legumes, PARC, presented the 10 candidate varieties for consideration.

The recommended varieties include five chickpea and one mung bean from the Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology (NIAB), Faisalabad; one lentil and one mung bean from the Pulses Research Program, National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), Islamabad; one mung bean from the Pulses Research Institute, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute (AARI), Faisalabad; and a mung bean variety from the Nuclear Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Peshawar.

The chairman of the VEC highlighted that high-yielding, disease-resistant, and climate-resilient varieties are critical for improving pulses productivity. He stressed the need for stronger collaboration between researchers and extension workers to ensure the production of sufficient seed to meet the country’s growing demand for pulses. Pakistan requires 1.56 million tons of pulses annually and has achieved self-sufficiency in mung bean production, but it still aims to increase production of other pulse crops like chickpea, lentil, and mash bean.

The VEC meeting concluded with a commitment to continue promoting research and productivity enhancement in pulses, aiming to close the gap between production and demand in Pakistan.