Pakistan is preparing to deploy artificial intelligence and genomic research to accelerate crop development, aiming to improve productivity and strengthen export competitiveness in agriculture. According to official documents, the government has proposed a project titled 'Building Reference Genomes and Leveraging AI-driven Models for Improvement of Indigenous Crops.' The initiative will be implemented by the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council through the National Institute for Genomics and Advanced Biotechnology at the National Agricultural Research Centre in Islamabad. The four-year programme, scheduled from July 2026 to June 2030, carries an estimated cost of Rs786.816m. It seeks to build reference genomes for indigenous crops and integrate artificial intelligence into breeding systems, significantly reducing the time required to develop improved varieties. Officials expect the project to produce 10 elite crop varieties, including resistant-starch rice and wheat, sugarcane with at least 13.3% sugar r ecovery and shattering-resistant canola. The initiative will utilise advanced facilities such as genomics laboratories, intelligent glasshouses and speed-breeding systems. A major component involves generating high-quality genome sequences for 62 indigenous crop varieties across 17 major species. These resources will support the development of cost-effective DNA-SNP genotyping platforms integrated with AI-based selection models. The programme also includes the creation of 10 DNA-based genotyping platforms and a national DNA fingerprinting repository covering 848 crop varieties. This database is expected to enhance varietal certification, crop traceability and protection of plant breeders' rights. Officials say the initiative could strengthen agricultural productivity and improve livelihoods, particularly for farmers in climate-vulnerable regions, while advancing Pakistan's capacity in modern agricultural biotechnology.