Zahid Baig

LAHORE: Pakistan’s rice sector is poised for a major uplift as Guard Agricultural Research & Services Ltd (Guard) has successfully developed and advanced two Open-Pollinated (OP) Basmati varieties — Guard-101 and Guard-102. The varieties will be available for commercial cultivation in the 2026 season.

Both lines were formally registered with the Punjab Seed Council in 2023 after extensive research, genetic verification, and field performance trials. Having completed the pre-basic and basic seed stages, the company has multiplied seed this year, setting the stage for commercial rollout in the 2026 crop year.

Guard Agricultural Research & Services Ltd Chief Executive Shahzad Ali Malik told Business Recorder on Sunday that the yield potential of Guard-101 and Guard-102 ranges between 50–55 maunds per acre, comparable to leading varieties such as Super Basmati 1121 and 1509. During development, the varieties even demonstrated yields of 60–65 maunds per acre. Grain length, traditional Basmati aroma, and cooking quality have been fully preserved through rigorous DNA authentication performed by Eurofins, he added.

For seed multiplication, Guard allocated 30 acres to Guard-101 and 71 acres to Guard-102 across Narang, Sheikhupura and Manga Mandi (Lahore). This season, the company produced 59 tonnes of Guard-102 and 27 tonnes of Guard-101 seed for commercial sowing.

DNA reports compared the new varieties with widely grown market lines and confirmed that Guard-101 and Guard-102 possess distinct genetic identities, reinforcing Pakistan’s varietal integrity claims.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025

Published Date: December 8, 2025