Islamabad, Pakistan – Web Desk:
The Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) has unveiled a five-year Rs1.65 billion initiative aimed at promoting domestic oilseed cultivation and cutting the country’s reliance on imported edible oil.
According to official documents obtained by Wealth Pakistan, the program—titled “The National Crop Diversification and Import Substitution Program (Oilseeds)”—will run from July 2026 to June 2031. The project emphasizes climate-smart agriculture, modern seed systems, farmer training, and improved value chains to boost local production.
Under the plan, cluster-based crop diversification will be implemented, along with farmer field demonstration hubs and digital advisory systems to facilitate adoption of modern cultivation techniques. The program also seeks to strengthen the national seed system through enhanced breeder, foundation, and certified seed production, aiming to improve yields and profitability of priority oilseed crops.
PARC expects the initiative to reduce edible oil imports by 10–20 percent, while promoting climate-resilient crops, modern farming technologies, and sustainable land and water use. Deliverables include:
- National zoning for six key oilseed crops and development of 10–15 production clusters.
- Establishment of 20–50 model farms and 50–100 demonstration hubs of 2–5 hectares each.
- Training for 2,000–5,000 farmers and extension workers.
- Evaluation of around 6,000 germplasm accessions and scaling certified seed production to 2,000–5,000 tons.
- Setting up 10–15 seed multiplication farms and entering five to seven PPP agreements to strengthen certified seed supply and industry linkages.
Officials say the project will play a key role in improving domestic oilseed productivity and supporting Pakistan’s goal of narrowing its edible oil import bill by providing locally produced alternatives.
