Pakistan, Japan to promote cultivation of indigenous Species  
Pakistan Times National News Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Japan have decided to engage in a pilot project for conducting experimental cultivation of various local species of plants by using ‘Cultivation Pot’ in different climatic locations in Pakistan.

This was agreed during the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) and Environment Measurement Services (EMS), Japan here Thursday.

Dr. M E Tusneem, Chairman PARC inked the agreement on behalf of the council while Tohru Kuroka, President EMS represented his organization.

Sikandar Hayat Bosan, Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock; M. Ismail Qureshi, Secretary Food, (MINFAL) and senior officials of the Ministry/ PARC witnessed the ceremony.

According to the agreement EMS - a limited company registered in Japan, which is specialist company engaged since 1973 in research and development of materials and technologies for plantation of trees in difficult and dry terrain with emphasis on water-saving methodologies would introduce a special cultivation pot the company has developed and made from environment friendly recycled resources for tree, grass and vegetable cultivation in water-scarcity areas, dry regions and hilly slopes.

The company is interested in conducting test, practice, use, manufacture and sale of the ‘Cultivation Pot’ for cultivation of plants in Pakistan.

On the other hand, PARC, which is an apex agricultural research organization of the Government of Pakistan - engaged in creation, development, adoption and promotion of new technologies for the benefit of the stakeholders and larger interests of the country, would cooperate in the enhancement of plantation in water scarcity terrain in Pakistan, making use of the ‘Cultivation Pot’ while EMS would provide the technology to the former at lowest possible rates for the Pilot Project.●