FAISALABAD:Muhammad Riaz was appointed as Chief Scientist in Oil-seed department of Ayub Agricultural Research Institute (AARI).
Earlier Muhammad Riaz had served AARI as head of Vegetable Department.
He took over charge of his office and this seat was lying vacant for the last one month as his predecessor Muhammad Tariq had retired after attaining the age of superannuation.
Meanwhile, newly appointed Chief Scientist Muhammad Raiz also presided over the meeting of oil-seed scientists here on Monday and said that all necessary steps would be taken in addition to utilizing available resources for promotion of oil-seed crops especially cultivation of sunflower during current Rabi season.
He said that AARI had developed hybrid varieties of sunflower and its pre-basic seed was being supplied to Punjab Seed Corporation and other private seed companies so that the ample quantity of hybrid seed of sunflower varieties could be provided to the farmers.
Oil-seed expert Hafiz Saad Bin Mustafa briefed the meeting and said that Pakistan was importing edible oil worth Rs.300 billion per annum and this bill could be reduced by promoting oil-seed crops.
Principal Scientist Sajida Habib said that Punjab was divided into three zones for cultivation of sunflower crops. In first phase, the farmers of southern Punjab, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajan Pur, Bahawal Pur, Rahim Yar Khan, Multan, Vehari, Bahawal Nagar, Muzaffar Garh, Layyah, Lodhran, Bhakkar and Khanewal should cultivate sunflower crops from December 1st to January 31 whereas best suitable time was from 1st to 30th January for cultivation of sunflower in central Punjab including Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Chiniot, Mianwali, Sargodha, Khushab, Jhang, Sahiwal, Okara, Pakpatan, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Lahore, Mandi Bahaud Din, Hafiz Abad, Kasur, Sheikhupura and Nankana Sahib.
Similarly, the peasants of northern Punjab including Narowal, Attock, Rawalpindi, Gujrat, Jehlum and Chakwal should cultivate sunflower crops from 1st January to 15th February.
The farmers should use 2 kilogram sunflower seed per acre and number of plants should be from 22000 to 23000 in one acre, she added.