November 2007
November 28, The Post	Caretaker Agriculture Minister Punjab Khurshid Zaman BT technology is the need of the day for producing quality cotton and to provide sustained protection against pests for benefits to the growers in Pakistan. He stated this while exchanging views about BT Technology for cotton varieties with Chinese delegation headed by Mr. Lee Min at his office on Tuesday. The minister reiterated that BT cotton varieties were necessary to keep local industry competitive with world markets and to compete with major players including India, USA, China and Australia
November 26, Business Recorder	Ginners stage rally against Indian cotton import Ginners organized a rally on Sunday, followed by PCGA central executive meeting under the leadership of Chairman Suhail Mehmood Haral, four vice-chairmen Arjun Das from Sindh, Muhammad Shafiq from Bahawalpur, Zafar Abbas Naqvi from Multan, and Muhammad Bilal from Sargodha-Sahiwal circle in protest against allowing textile millers to import 1.25 million bales cotton from India, and not implementing the Cotton Control Act.
November 25, The News	Cotton import hits record 1.24m bales Textile mills have imported highest-ever quantity of 190,055 tonnes or 1.24 million cotton bales worth $286.931 million or Rs17.371 billion by October 31, 2007 from USA, India and other sources due to crop shortage in the country
November 23, Business Recorder	Pakistan suffer huge losses due to contaminated cotton In Pakistan, the contamination proportion is 20 grams per bale while the international market standard is only 2.5 grams per bale. According to Trading Corporation of Pakistan's analysis, Pakistan can get a low contamination of 1.83 grams per bale against the target of 2.5 grams per bale. The government passed the Cotton Standardization Ordinance in 2002, which has some flaws
November 21, Daily Times	Pakistan far behind in cotton output per unit of area: ICAC Pakistani government was much in favor of introducing BT Cotton cultivation in the country, but through formal means. In this regard the MINFAL in consultation with stakeholders has finalized strategy to regulate release of genetically modified (GM) plant varieties including BT cotton.
November 15, The News	Sowing delay with no solid reasons BT cotton would largely eliminate the use of pesticides. Agricultural experts say in normal circumstances with less intensity of pest attack the farmers spend Rs1,500 to Rs2,000 on pesticides for spray over one acre. A former office-bearer of All Pakistan Textile Association Tariq Mehmood said a leading international producer of BT cotton had offered to provide seeds to Pakistan at market prices plus $29 per acre fee for guaranteed supply. This comes to Rs1,769 at current rate
November 13, Business Recorder	Pakistan will miss cotton output target by 2m bales: USDA The Federal Crop Estimation Committee has already also estimated that the country's cotton production would be 12.8 million bales as against the target of 14.1 million bales, he said. He said that following the rising gap between supply and demand, the country would import some 2.5-3 million cotton bales during the current fiscal year
November 05, The Nation	Significance of Bt Maize to enhance yield Our total requirement of edible oil is estimated at 1.65 million tons against the domestic production of various types of edible oil; which is around 600 thousand tons annually and, therefore, the shortfall of about 900 thousand tons is met through imports. By venturing into biotech crops like Bt maize, Bt soybean Bt Canola; Pakistan will be able to deal with this issue as well.
November 05, The Post	Agriculture sector needs reforms for economic growth According to the report of the Central Bank of Pakistan, GDP growth rate is increasing at the rate of 7 per cent during the fiscal year 2006-2007 against the fiscal year 2005-2006 that shows that agriculture sector grew at the rate of 5 per cent, industrial sector 6.8 per cent
November 01, Daily Times	Pak can benefit from biotechnology The speakers stressed the need for commercialization of biotechnology by establishing links between universities, research institutions and industry to optimize the benefits of available expertise and infrastructure. The LCCI President Shahid Hassan Sheikh said recent advances in biotechnology provides ways of introducing very precise changes to genetic material that allow, for the first time, the transfer of properties of a single gene from one organism to another.
November 01, Business Recorder	Pakistan -American collaboration in Agri-field discussed A US delegation visited Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (Parc) and National Agriculture Research Council (Narc) here on Wednesday. The delegation was headed by Carid Rexroad, Associate Administrator United States Department of Agriculture, Margaret Thursland and Agricultural Counsellor US Embassy in Pakistan
November 01, Pakistan Observer	Need for commercialization of biotechnology products stressed The speakers at a seminar stressed the need for commercialization of biotechnology by establishing links between universities, research institutions and industry to optimize the benefits of available expertise and infrastructure. Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) in collaboration with National Commission on Biotechnology organized the seminar on 'commercialization of biotechnology Products' here on Wednesday