Tag: Pakistan
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THE ‘YOU NEVER KNOW’ RICE
A rice variety developed in China in 2008, stored in international genebanks, has emerged as a top-performing crop in Pakistan. After years of preservation and testing, this resilient strain—now called NARC-RICE-1—demonstrates the vital role of seed conservation in ensuring future food security.
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BETTER CHICKPEAS FOR KOT SARANG
Blight decimated the chickpea crop in the Punjab village of Kot Sarang a decade or so ago. Farmers were reluctant to plant it again. But breeders from Pakistan’s National Agricultural Research Center found types of chickpea in the National Genebank of Pakistan that had some resistance to the blight. The breeders planted those chickpeas in Kot Sarang and sure enough they had some blight tolerance. So, the farmers are now growing chickpeas again. I joined those breeders and staff from the National Genebank to pay those farmers a visit and see…
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THE CITY OF ISLAM
‘Islamabad’ means “City of Islam” or “City of Peace” in Urdu. So, I thought it would remiss of me if I didn’t visit the Faisal Mosque while visiting the City of Islam. The Faisal Mosque was built in 1988 and named after King Faisal of Saudi Arabia who inaugurated it. It was designed by a Turkish architect who aimed for a more contemporary structure in a triangular design reminiscent of a Bedouin tent. The foothills of the Margalla Hills give it a picturesque backdrop. With a 100,000-person capacity it ranks as…
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ISLAMABAD’S SUNDAY BAZAAR
You can get pretty much anything at the Sunday (AKA Margalla) Bazaar, even on a Friday. Open three days a week, the bazaar is the place to go in Islamabad to purchase essential items at competitive prices. It sprawls across 25 acres with 2,760 stalls. Carpets, clothes, fresh food, techie stuff and even soccer balls. I wanted to have a look at food so my hosts, Drs Kashif and Umer from the Plant Genetic Resources Institute, brought me to the bazaar for a gander at the diversity of food the Pakistanis…
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