Pakistan Agriculture Updates

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PHDEC to distribute banana bunch bags, conduct awareness seminar for progressive growers​

The Nation
Jun 11, 2024

The Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Company (PHDEC) has planned to distribute banana bunch bags to progressive banana growers in Sindh on Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Hyderabad. This initiative aims to enhance the quality and cosmetic appeal of banana fruit, facilitating its export to high-end markets.

Pakistan is a major producer of bananas, cultivating the fruit across approximately 33 thousand hectares. Despite this extensive production, banana exports have been primarily limited to Iran and CARs countries due to issues with the quality and cosmetic appeal of the fruit.

Sindh province plays a pivotal role in this sector, encompassing 93% of the banana cultivation area and 83% of the total production. The region’s soil and climatic conditions are ideal for successful banana cultivation.

Improving the cosmetic appeal and overall quality of bananas can significantly enhance Pakistan’s ability to export the fruit to more lucrative markets. The distribution of banana bunch bags by PHDEC is a strategic step in this direction.

PHDEC has been continuously working to develop Pakistan’s horticulture sector, focusing on enhancing exports through the improvement of horticultural products. Last season, PHDEC distributed 150,000 mango bags to growers in Sindh and Punjab. These bags brought very positive results, significantly improving the quality and appearance of the mango fruit.

 

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Farmers deserve more​

Mohiuddin Aazim
June 24, 2024

The federal government has allocated Rs5 billion for the Kissan package for the next fiscal year starting July 1. The amount is equal to a little over the two-day expense of running the civil government (for which the government has projected a Rs839bn expense for FY25, bringing the daily expense to about 2.36bn).

This federal fund for agriculture will be used through a markup and risk-sharing scheme — designed in 2022 — that will offer subsidised loans to farmers for the purchase of agricultural machinery.

When talking about provincial budgets, Punjab and Sindh have allocated Rs117.2bn and Rs30.7bn to the sector, respectively. While Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has allocated Rs31.5bn, Balochistan’s budgetary allocation was Rs23.8bn.

Provincial allocations for agriculture as a percentage of the total budget are surprisingly low: Punjab at 2.2 per cent, Sindh at 1pc, KP at 1.8pc and Balochistan as 2.5pc. After including Sindh’s Rs35bn allocation for irrigation, a sector closely related to agriculture, its spending rises to 2.1pc, comparable to Punjab’s.

Pakistan cannot create an exportable food surplus with modest allocation to the agriculture sector in the federal and provincial budgets

 

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Chinese chili project partners with local farmers for 10,000 acres of chili cultivation​

Gwadar Pro
Jul 3, 2024

ISLAMABAD - China’s LTEC International Agriculture Development Co., Ltd. collaborates with Pakistani farmers to cultivate chili across 10,000 acres of land for its export to China.

The company, renowned for supplying high quality hybrid chili seed, has successfully harvested over 3 tons of dried red chili per acre in June across various regions of Pakistan including Sindh, central and southern Punjab.

Dr. Muhammad Adnan, Executive Manager LTEC International Agriculture Development Co., Ltd.told Gwadar Pro that the yield of all contract farmers would be exported to China. This year more than 10,000 acres are under contract with them.


He said they do a contract with local farmers, provide them with technical advisory service from nursery till harvesting/drying, then at the end they buy back chili from farmers on premium price.

He said their contract farmers are from all over Pakistan, particularly in Sindh, the central and south Punjab. They have model farms in all major chili growing areas where they hold training sessions for local farmers. Last month, their training was held at our model farms in Multan, Lodhran, Jalalpur, Vehari, Jampur and Layyah.

LTEC training held at a model farm in Qasba Marral, Multan for local farmers.
The objective was to showcase their 90+ chili trial varieties to farmers and to train farmers about effective chili picking and drying in order to get quality chili.

They were also guided to manage various diseases in the field, he said.
Adnan highlighted that their main objective is to increase chili acreage and produce quality chili for export because Pakistan is not self sufficient in dry chili. So increasing its cultivation is their main objective in Pakistan.

In future along with exports, their focus is also to establish a food industry in Pakistan related to chili products.

“We have directly supervised 3,000 acres and successfully cultivated 16,000 acres of chili in Pakistan under our contract till now (2020-2024). Out of which 10,000 acre contracts are for this year (2024) thus meeting the needs of chilis in the Chinese market and making Pakistan self-sufficient in chili production,” he said.

Director, LTEC International Agriculture Development Co., Ltd. Chen Liyang said the Chinese Chili Contract Farming Project in Pakistan aims to improve agricultural practices and foster economic growth.

Through this initiative, they provide high-quality hybrid chili seeds, state-of-the-art production technology, and a supportive buyback program at competitive prices.

Chen Liyang emphasized the comprehensive support empowers farmers to concentrate on crop production while ensuring sustainability through balanced fertilizer application and eco-friendly farming techniques. He said their efforts have yielded significant results, with successful chili cultivation spanning thousands of acres in Pakistan.

“We are steadfast in our mission to make Pakistan a self-reliant producer of chili and to bolster foreign reserves through strategic export opportunities. We are committed to driving agricultural innovation, fostering sustainable development, and contributing to the economic prosperity of Pakistan.”

 

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Stability on cotton market as business activity picks up​

Brecorder
Jul 22, 2024

The cotton market remained stable, with a notable increase in business activity. Favourable rainfall has had a positive impact on the crop. Cotton production has reached to 4,42,041 bales. However, to curb tax evasion, the Track and Trace system will be implemented in the cotton ginning industry.

The textile industry has vehemently protested the imposition of taxes on exports under SRO-350. All Pakistan Textile Mills Association, Textile Exporters Association have demanded that an urgent review of agreements with Independent Power Producers (IPPs) is necessary.

Following the Muharram holidays, the local cotton market resumed trading last week and has since remained generally stable.

 

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China-Pakistan chilli collaboration doubles farmers' income​

Gwadar Pro
Aug 5, 2024

ISLAMABAD - Chilli growers in Lodhran and Layyah districts of Punjab are reaping higher incomes after collaborating with a Chinese company, LTEC.

The red chilli contract farming under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative has also stabalised the local market as it offers guaranteed income for the farmers. Moreover, the collaboration has generated thousands of farming jobs, especially for women, in rural areas of Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan.

Irshad Hussain, a graduate of the UAF (University of Agriculture, Faisalabad), told Gwadar Pro that he started growing chillies in 2017. “However, I was even unable to meet the production cost before collaborating with the Chinese company in 2023”, Hussain said.

Hussain got a contract with the LTEC for 100 acres, but he grew red chillies on 115 acres due to the better local market demand following China-Pakistan red chillies project.

He said the Chinese red and green chillies’ seeds not only produced higher yields but also garnered higher prices in the local market because of their superb quality.

It is a blessing for the farmers as their incomes have doubled, Hussain said.

“Also, even being an agriculturist myself, I learnt a lot from the Chinese experts, so you can imagine how much the ordinary farmers would have benefited from this Chinese collaboration,” he said.

Malik Masood ul Haq cultivated 25 acres for the LTEC in 2023. This year, he has grown red chillies on 85 acres of land in Lodhran, Punjab, and plans to extend the farm to 100 acres next year. “My relatives and other villagers are also eyeing partnership with the LTEC in the future,” he said. He also admired the quality of Chinese chilli seeds, both red and green.

Sher Afghan Khan, a red chilli farmer in Layyah, Punjab, said that he had employed 200 women in his 14-acre farm. “Larger farms like 100 acres or above have provided jobs to thousands of local women,” he said.

 

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Import of 100,000MT urea approved for smooth supply, price stability​

The APP
Aug 3, 2024

Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb on Friday chaired a meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet which approved the import of 100,000 Metric Tons (MT) urea.

The committee decided on a proposal submitted by the Ministry of Industries and Production aimed at ensuring sufficient supplies of urea in the market.

“This will also ensure stability of prices of fertilizer during the cropping season,” a Finance Division news release said.

 

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Salt-tolerant crops​

Amin Ahmed
August 10, 2024

ISLAMABAD: With initial support from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the National Institute for Agriculture and Biology (Niab) has made significant strides in developing and planting salt-tolerant crops and implementing soil management techniques to combat salinisation.

Niab has now started sharing its expertise with other countries affected by soil salinisation, by offering training to their scientists, according to information released by IAEA.

Pakistan has lost 5.7 million hectares of arable land due to soil salinisation. This figure is growing by 40,000 hectares each year, Niab estimates. Most crops are unable to grow in soil with high salt levels, turning fields into desert landscapes and posing a serious threat to food security.

Over the last three years, with IAEA support, Niab conceptualised and organised specific training to expand the expertise in the region. In total, 21 scientists and soil specialists from Azerbaijan, Burundi, Iraq, Lesotho and Senegal have been trained on relevant isotopic techniques through fellowships and scientific visits.

To support the Asia-Pacific region, Niab experts also trained 39 members of the regional scientific community on climate-smart agriculture practices to boost climate change resilience.

 

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Govt launches project to form 33 farmer enterprise groups​

Business Recorder
Sep 20, 2024

The Punjab government has launched a project worth Rs 6 billion to form 33 farmer enterprise groups consisting of 450 farmers to bring 17,500 acres of land cumulatively under onion and tomato crops, both for seasonal and off-season sowing, in a bid to enhance the production of these two important vegetables in the province.

The breakup of the land shows that 9,000 acres of land will be brought for seasonal cultivation of onion in Lodhran, Multan and Rajanpur districts while another 2500 acres of land will be brought under non-seasonal cultivation in Vehari, Khanewal and Rahim Yar Khan districts.

Likewise, 3500 acres of land will be brought for seasonal cultivation of tomato crops in Muzaffargarh, Rahim Yar Khan and Sheikhupura areas while another 2500 acres of land for non-seasonal sowing of tomatoes in Khushab, Chakwal, Rawalpindi, Jhelum and DG Khan.

The World Bank has funded the project and will provide support for onion and tomato seeds, nursery plants, machinery and agricultural equipment and cold storage.

Sources in the provincial agriculture department told Business Recorder that the plan has been chalked out on the directives of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif to ensure the provision of quality vegetables at affordable prices to consumers throughout the year.

Punjab Agriculture Minister Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani also chaired a meeting regarding this project recently in which he disclosed that the growers will be provided with all the help to achieve the targets of this mega project.

Kirmani while addressing the meeting said that modern farm machinery and solar systems will be provided to farmers on subsidy for increasing seasonal and non-seasonal cultivation of onion and potatoes.

In this context, a group cluster of farmers will be formed consisting of 12 to 15 farmers having less than 25 acres and they will work together to achieve the desired goals.

The provincial minister said that capacity building of farmers will be done through Farmer Field School, while technical training of Farmer Enterprise Group will be arranged through quality improvement, climate-smart agriculture practices, regenerative agriculture and post-harvest practices.

Punjab Agriculture Secretary said that under this project, the seasonal and non-seasonal production of onions will increase by 28,500 tons, while the seasonal and non-seasonal production of tomatoes will increase by 39,000 tons, he added.

 

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Pakistan a potential supplier in global kiwifruit market: Experts​

By Wang Xiaotong | China Economic Net
Sep 23, 2024

BEIJING, Sept 23 (China Economic Net) - From the newly concluded International Training Workshop on Kiwifruit Production in Sichuan, agricultural experts from Pakistan saw their country's potential to become an important player in the world's kiwifruit market, through collaborating with China. Meanwhile an MoU was reached between Sichuan Provincial Academy of Natural Resource Sciences and the University of Swabi, marking a promising beginning of Sino-Pak kiwifruit cooperation in a more in-depth form.

Agricultural experts from Pakistan, Egypt, Nepal, Mongolia, etc. gather in Sichuan to learn Chinese expertise in kiwifruit production. [Photo provided by SPANRC]

“Pakistan's kiwi industry has immense potential for growth and development. With its favorable climate, rich soil and abundant water resources, Pakistan can become a significant player in the global kiwifruit market,” Dr. Ruidar Ali Shah from the University of Swabi told CEN. Further, “Pakistan's strategic location allows for easy access to markets in the Middle East, Central Asia and Europe, providing a competitive edge. I am optimistic about the future of Pakistan's kiwi industry and its potential to contribute significantly to the country's economy,” he added.

“Pakistan's climate, especially in its northern and hilly regions, is suitable for growing kiwifruit, which requires moderate temperatures and adequate rainfall. The growing demand for kiwifruit in both local and international markets, coupled with Pakistan's large agricultural workforce, presents a significant opportunity for the country to develop a profitable kiwifruit industry,”