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NARC opens speed breeding units for wheat and pulses | The Express Tribune
ISLAMABAD:
Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain on Friday inaugurated speed breeding facilities for wheat and pulses at the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), Islamabad, a move aimed at accelerating crop improvement and addressing food security challenges, according to an official statement.
The speed breeding technology enables crops to be grown under tightly controlled environmental conditions, significantly shortening breeding cycles. By extending photoperiods to up to 22 hours using specialised LED lighting and maintaining optimal temperature and humidity, wheat can complete its life cycle in six to eight weeks. This allows five to six generations to be produced in a single year, reducing the conventional varietal development timeline of around 14 years by nearly half.
The wheat speed breeding facility has been established at NARC’s Crop Sciences Institute under the PSDP-funded Wheat Productivity Enhancement Project. Equipped with controlled glasshouse chambers, LED grow lighting systems and environmental controls, the facility has already developed more than 3,000 new wheat lines, which are currently undergoing field yield trials. It has also been used to train scientists, breeders and students, with protocols being adapted for other crops.
Pakistan’s first dedicated pulses speed breeding facility was also inaugurated under the PSDP Pulses Project. Pulses are a major source of affordable protein and contribute to soil health through biological nitrogen fixation, but productivity gains have remained limited due to long breeding cycles and increasing climate and disease risks. The new facility enables four to six generations per year in crops such as chickpea, lentil, mung bean and mash through controlled growth chambers and adjustable lighting. According to the statement, work is under way on advanced chickpea breeding lines and multiple segregating generations, with improved phenotyping under uniform conditions.
Chairman Pakistan Agricultural Research Council Dr Syed Murtaza Hassan Andrabi said the adoption of advanced breeding technologies was essential for achieving faster genetic gains and improving crop resilience. He said the facilities reflected efforts to modernise agricultural research and strengthen collaboration with national and international institutions.
Hussain also inaugurated an Intelligent IoT-Based Smart Glasshouse at NIGAB. Spread over 2,640 square feet, the facility integrates IoT sensors, artificial intelligence, programmable control systems, and data analytics to support genome-assisted breeding, stress biology research and advanced phenotyping. It is currently being used for heat stress screening, rapid advancement of wheat generations, aquaponics-based cultivation and the acclimatisation of gene-edited plants.
Speaking at the occasion, Hussain remarked that the Intelligent Smart Glasshouse represents a future-ready national asset that bridges genomics, digital agriculture, and sustainable food production.
He appreciated the efforts of scientists and researchers involved in developing these facilities and reaffirmed the government’s support for scaling such initiatives, strengthening collaboration with national and international research organisations, and fostering publicprivate partnerships for sustainable varietal development.
The equity market came under heavy pressure on Monday, with investors remaining cautious amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran, while the start of the roll-over period added to volatility.
The benchmark Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) KSE-100 Index closed at 167,691.08 points, falling 5,478.63 points or 3.16% from the previous session’s close of 173,169.71.
During intraday trading, the index touched a high of 174,336.85 before sliding to a low of 166,886.63, reflecting sharp swings throughout the session.
Market analysts attributed the decline to geopolitical uncertainty. Huzaifa Riaz, Director at Mayari Securities, said investors adopted a cautious stance due to rising US-Iran tensions and the absence of strong near-term market triggers.
US President Donald Trump recently stated he would decide within “10 to 15 days” whether to order strikes on Iran if nuclear negotiations fail.
Reports indicated that military options were presented to him, including potential actions targeting Iran’s leadership.
On the economic front, data from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) showed that profit and dividend repatriation by foreign investors rose to $1.677 billion during the first seven months of FY26, compared to $1.328 billion a year earlier.
Pakistan recorded a current account surplus of $121 million in January, supported by strong remittances and controlled imports.
However, the cumulative current account balance showed a deficit of $1.07 billion in 7MFY26, compared to a $564 million surplus in the same period last year.
Meanwhile, weekly inflation measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) rose 1.16% for the week ended February 19, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), with year-on-year inflation recorded at 5.19%.
The previous session had seen the KSE-100 gain nearly 1,000 points, but Monday’s sharp sell-off reversed those gains as geopolitical concerns dominated investor sentiment.
Last Updated:
RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra confirmed no systemic risk from the Rs 590 crore fraud at IDFC First Bank’s Chandigarh branch linked to Haryana government accounts.
RBI Monitoring Rs 590 Crore Fraud At IDFC First Bank, Assures No Wider Impact
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is closely monitoring developments surrounding the Rs 590 crore fraud reported by IDFC First Bank, with no broader systemic concern arising from the incident, said Governor Sanjay Malhotra told reporters during a press briefing held after the customary post-Budget address by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to the RBI’s Central Board of Directors.
“We are watching the development, there is no systemic issue,” Malhotra said, after being asked upon IDFC First Bank’s fraud case, in which the private lender has reported a fraud of Rs 590 crore with an account linked with the Haryana government at the Chandigarh branch.
The irregularities were linked to a defined set of Haryana state government accounts handled at that branch. The Haryana government has de-empaneled IDFC First Bank and AU Small Finance Bank with immediate effect.
Following the update, the bank’s shares crashed 20 per cent on Monday, bearing a heavy loss.
Bank Assures Limited Impact
IDFC First Bank clarified in its disclosure that the fraud is “confined to a specific group of government-linked accounts within Haryana government” operated through the Chandigarh branch. The bank emphasized that the issue does not extend to other customers serviced by the same branch.
The lender’s statement sought to reassure stakeholders that the matter is restricted in scope and does not reflect a wider operational breakdown. The RBI’s remarks further underlined that, from a regulatory standpoint, the episode does not pose systemic risks to the banking sector.
The development comes amid heightened regulatory focus on governance standards and internal controls within financial institutions. While investigations and internal reviews are expected to continue, the central bank’s position signals confidence that the broader banking system remains stable.
(With PTI Inputs)
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February 23, 2026, 12:59 IST
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