Pakistan Launches Landmark Desert Horticulture Cooperation with China to Transform Arid Lands
By Wang Kai | China Economic Net
Jun 18, 2026
MULTAN, — Pakistan's first-ever Joint Laboratory for Desert Agriculture; and Science and Technology Backyard on Desert Horticulture were unveiled on Wednesday through an MOU to turn vast stretches of desert land of Pakistan into productive farmland.
Bringing together China's Tarim University in Xinjiang and Pakistan's Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture (MNSUA) in Multan, the partnership is expected to serve as a platform for technology transfer, scientific research, and farmer training focused on desert agriculture.
Dr. Abid Ali, chief scientist on Pakistani side, revealed the cooperation will focus on introducing a range of advanced technologies, including solar-powered greenhouse systems, precision agriculture, drone-based crop monitoring, and water-saving drip irrigation.
According to Dr. Ali, technologies developed by Tarim University could help address some of Pakistan's most pressing agricultural challenges, including water scarcity and low productivity in desert regions.
"The technologies have already proven successful in Xinjiang," Dr. Ali said. “For example, the low-cost, high-efficiency desert solar greenhouse technology addresses the longstanding challenge of low land utilization in traditional solar greenhouses, increasing land-use efficiency by up to 35%. Its simple modular assembly structure enables rapid construction while ensuring excellent daylighting and heat-retention performance with a construction cost of only about RMB 290–320 (PKR 11,000–12,500) per square meter.”