China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) | Agriculture

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CPEC-supported solar energy boosts Pakistani produce cultivation​

Tahir Ali | Gwadar Pro

Palai valley produces quality blood red oranges. [Photo by Tahir Ali/Gwadar Pro]


PESHAWAR, Jan. 8 (Gwadar Pro) - Malakand district in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is a strategically important position, which gives access to the ancient, beautiful valley of “Udyana” (Swat). Palai is a small valley in lower Malakand, known for producing high-quality oranges (called malta, citrus sinensis). Palai is the center of a cluster of seven villages namely Bara Bazdara, Koza Bazdara, Sherkhana, Zormandai, Mora Banda and Zangal, all producing citrus for decades.

The oranges of Palai are popular due to their distinctive aroma, taste, color and size. Although the sandy loamy soil of Palai valley is suitable for cultivating oranges, especially the blood-red citrus until recently the lack of a proper irrigation system limited its cultivation to household consumption instead of commercial sale and consumption.

According to Raham Khaliq, a local cultivator, in the early 1980s farmers started digging tube wells running with electric power generators, leading to an increase in citrus orchards. Some farmers also established similar orchards with tube wells running with diesel generators. Hence, with the advent of tube wells in the area, citrus production increased and people began to sell their fruits in nearby markets. However, the majority of the tube wells were established near villages, so remote uninhabited areas, with no electricity supply line, remained barren, or people cultivated wheat, maize and other such crops relying on rainwater.

Talking to Gwadar Pro, Raham Khaliq said that the malta of Palai had established itself in the market due to its quality. In recent years, the number of citrus orchards increased a lot after farmers started installing solar-powered tube wells in their fields. Apart from citrus, local people also cultivate peaches, guavas, tomatoes and other vegetables.

Orange orchard irrigated with solar-powered tube well in Sherkhana village. [Photo by Tahir Ali/Gwadar Pro]


Afzal Hussain installed a solar-powered pump on his tube-well in Bara Bazdara village about five years ago. The tube well brought about a revolution in his farming and he began the cultivation of malta, peaches and tomatoes in his fields, which for centuries had relied only on rainwater and produced only wheat and corn. “Today my land is not only a source of income for my family but our orchards have provided informal jobs for several locals,” .

Zahid Shah is another farmer from Sherkhana village who uses both electric and diesel operated tube-wells to water his orange orchards. However, he is thinking of switching to a solar-powered tube-well. “Due to frequent load-shedding and low voltage and soaring gasoline prices, I am going to move to solar tube-wells,” he told Gwadar Pro adding that many cultivators have started using solar systems and even the arid hilly areas have turned green due to solar-powered tube wells.

The area with bright blue sky and powerful sun receive more than 10 hours of sunlight making it conducive for solar system installation.

Abdur Rahim runs a small engineering workshop in Batkhela, the headquarters of the Malakand district. Although he is not an engineer with a university degree, he has acquired expertise in the solar energy system and has installed many solar systems to meet the electricity needs of households and farms.

Talking to Gwadar Pro, Abdur Rahim said the solar-powered tube wells have brought about an agricultural revolution in the Malakand area. People have started growing fruit trees and cultivating wheat and maize on those arid lands which until recently were only suitable for shrubs while some planted eucalyptus in those fields.

Solar-powered tube well turns barren land green. [Photo by Tahir Ali/Gwadar Pro]


Due to limited resources, Abdur Rahim’s clients opt for cheaper solar-powered tube wells. “I have set up such tube wells worth about Rs. 170,000 to Rs 1,100,000 (1.1 million) for my clients”, he said. According to him, all the photovoltaic (PV) modules he uses are from China while the stands and cables for the system are made in Pakistan.

The majority of submersible water-pumps used in the tube wells are also Chinese products. “Almost 80% of the parts of solar-powered tube wells come from China, while 20% of the parts are made locally,” he said and added that some of the farmers had to spend Rs 10,000 to Rs. 40,000 per month for electricity and fuel consumption but are now running their solar-powered tube wells at no monthly cost.

Pakistan is facing an electricity crisis. Currently, most of the electricity comes from fossil fuel, which is imported and costs a huge amount of money. However, Pakistan has abundant renewable energy resources including wind, solar, hydro and biomass that could ensure large-scale renewable electricity systems in the country. According to Pakistan Economic Survey 2019-20, Pakistan generates 96,382 GWH electricity, out of which only 2,057 GWH comes from renewable energy sources.

According to energy experts, Pakistan has a high potential for renewable energy resources with solar being one of the most convenient and easily achievable mediums. Quaid-e-Azam 1000 MW Solar Park in Bahawalpur, South Punjab, is also part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). According to the CPEC official website, the commercial operation date (COD) of 4x 100 MW was attained in August 2016 while 600 MW is under construction.

According to Saeed Hussain, a senior official of the Pakistan Council of Renewable Energy Technologies (PCRET), the PV modules are one of the cheapest ways to get electricity. “Mostly Pakistanis import PV from China, which is leading in solar technology in the world,” he told Gwadar Pro and added that currently around 200 MW electricity is received from PV including from small-scale generation.

Water supply scheme run with solar energy in upper Malakand. [Photo by Tahir Ali/Gwadar Pro]


In a recent conversation with Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Minister for Science and Technology Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said that Pakistan would soon establish its own solar and batteries manufacturing units by establishing a local partnership with Chinese mega-producers. “It would be a big change if Pakistan made its own energy and manufactured its own panels and batteries,” the Minister said.

The Government of Prime Minister Imran Khan has formulated a new Alternative and Renewable Energy (ARE) policy aimed at creating a conducive environment and supported by a robust framework for the sustainable growth of the ARE sector in Pakistan.

ARE Policy 2019-20 envisages the development of large-scale ARE projects in all parts of the country through the active participation of the provinces. The projects focus specifically on wind and solar energy and invite the private sector to develop their business-cum-supply chain for off-grid solar solutions in remote villages.

The policy aims to extend the current share of ARE in the country’s energy from 5% to 20% by 2025 while in 2030 at least 30% of the country’s electricity would be received from renewable energy sources.

 

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Sino-Pak cooperation in agriculture, food security strengthened: Rabbia Nasir​

August 13, 2022



Rabbia Nasir, third secretary of the Pakistani embassy in China, stated that Pakistan and China have been collaborating to ensure food security as good neighbours and all-weather strategic cooperative partners, with food being one of the main sources of trade between the two nations. She was speaking at the 2022 China Seed Congress and the Nanfan Agricultural Silicon Valley Forum. She emphasised that in order to reach a win-win outcome, both nations must intensify their agricultural and food security cooperation.

SANYA, CHINA:
Factors of production in the agriculture sector of Pakistan and China can be complementary to each other. Both countries need to strengthen cooperation in agriculture and food security to achieve a win-win solution.

These remarks were made by Rabbia Nasir, Third Secretary of the Embassy of Pakistan in China, while attending the 2022 China Seed Congress and the Nanfan Agricultural Silicon Valley Forum recently.

As good neighbours and all-weather strategic cooperative partners, Pakistan and China have been working together to ensure food security with food being one of the major sources of trade between the two countries.

According to Chinese customs statistics, Pakistan exported $610 million of agricultural products to China in the first half of 2022, up 30.85% year-on-year. Among them, rice exports amounted to $345 million.

Chinese investors are also investing more and more in Pakistan’s agriculture sector. Both countries are engaged in agricultural cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative.

To further enhance agricultural cooperation and food security, “we should make the most of the complementary factors of production in agriculture of both countries,” Nasir affirmed.

For instance, Pakistan could contribute a friendly policy of affordable factors of production, abundant agricultural products and investment in food processing, she cited and highlighted that China could share its experience with Pakistan in training, agricultural modernisation, cold chain technology, logistics, seed technology and agricultural demonstration areas.

As per data of the World Economic Forum, the global food security challenge is straightforward as by 2050 the world must feed nine billion people. The demand for food will be much greater than it is today.

 

[Luosifen]

Corn experts in China expecting cooperation under CPEC​

By Lukman Khan | Gwadar Pro Aug 16, 2022



BEIJING, Aug 17.(Gwadar Pro)-70% of China’s corn imports come from the United States and 29% from Ukraine. Amidst global political and social upheavals, China’s demand for corn imports is gradually expanding. In June this year, waterlogging jeopardized maize yields in China’s north east region, especially in Liao Ning and Ji Lin, causing a 6-8million tones lost in yield, Chinese media revealed.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s maize production has been winning over the last decades: in Punjab alone, maize production jumped from 794,000 tones in FY00-01 to 8.04 million tones FY20-21, with only a 130% rise in terms of cultivated areas over the same period of time.
Admittedly, Pakistan is also facing risks. This year's wheat harvest has caused uncertainties to domestic food security. There are debates over whether Pakistan should continue to export crops over the past several months. However, the trade convenience brought by China Pakistan Economic Corridor and the window of opportunities brought by the drastic changes in the global market cannot be ignored. How to mix up two iron-brothers’ comparative advantages and achieve best interests is a more important question to ask.
“We are more than happy to collaborate with Pakistan.” Corn Experts in China told Gwadar Pro.

File Photo: Corn Experts Conducting Field Research in Beijing’s Yu Jiawu International Seed Industry Technology Park
At present, nearly 65% of maize in China is used as animal feed and 30% as raw materials for industrial processing. “China has a huge demand for silage corn，I have mentioned in several high-level meetings.” Zhao Jiuran, Chief Expert of the Corn Research Institute，Beijing Academy of agricultural & Forestry Sciences said, “In order to feed cattle in China with high-quality silage maize, at least 4.95 million acres of land are needed for maize growing - based on the fact that there are about 15 million dairy cows and almost 100 million beef cattle in the country , the current output of silage corn feed is obviously not enough.”

File Photo: Corn Field in Beijing’s Yu Jiawu International Seed Industry Technology Park.
“We have high-yield, pest-resistant seeds, leading cultivation techniques and relatively advanced harvest machines.” Zhao told the reporter while showcasing a test-field at Beijing’s Yu Jiawu International Seed Industry Technology Park. Since the establishment of the Technology Park in 2011, more than 100 types of maize seeds have been bred. Drip irrigation Technology can be observed all over the test-field--an irrigation method that is popular in China’s Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia region, saving both water and energy.
“The average yield for 1 acre of maize can reach 4.8 tons in China.” Zhao revealed.
“We have also developed maize varieties that can resist high temperatures in Si Chuan, Hai Nan and Xin Jiang’s test field, the upper limit of heat tolerance is 40 degrees. If heat is a problem for Pakistani farmers, we are more than happy to collaborate.”
“However, farmers are shying away from investing in maize planting. For jobs at a maize plantation, the average salary per day is 200 yuan, many farmers rather seek job opportunities in big cities.”

File Photo: Corn harvested from Beijing’s Yu Jiawu International Seed Industry Technology Park.
“We tried to cooperate with several Pakistani traders 8 years ago, yet that attempt was aborted, due to trust issues brought by inefficient communication.” Officials at the Seed Industry Technology Park told us. “With CPEC gradually entering its second phase, and trade activities between the 2 countries normalized, I believe that the future is promising for maize related technology exchanges.”

Corn experts in China expecting cooperation under CPEC

BEIJING, Aug 17.(Gwadar Pro)-70% of China’s corn imports come from the United States and 29% from Uk

gwadarpro.pk

 

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BEIJING – Pakistan and China are enhancing agricultural cooperation under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) while Pakistan is ready to become food basket for China, Commercial Counsellor, Pakistan Embassy Beijing, Ghulam Qadir said.

He made these remarks while addressing International Forum on Development and Investment of Modern Supply Chain of Food on sidelines of 2022 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) held here. Ghulam Qadir pointed out that rice export from Pakistan registered phenomenal growth in the last decade, adding, “In 2010 Pakistan’s exports of rice to China were only 3,000 MT but now Pakistan is exporting nearly one million MT rice annually.” He expressed the confidence that Pakistan had a potential to become a food basket of China, by utilising its fertile and vast arable land.

Pakistan, he said, was looking forward to enhancing the bilateral food supply chain and agricultural cooperation by using China’s latest technologies and methods. “We are looking forward to China’s investment and technology transfer for agricultural modernisation and better productivity in Pakistan. We will also enhance our bilateral trade by using the latest methods like e-commerce and online platforms,” he added.

Ghulam Qadir attended opening ceremony held on August 31 as well as participated in several activities including signing ceremony of Royal Group and JW Group, Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Roundtable Seminar on Digital Trade with relevant organisations and summit Forum on China’s International Economic Cooperation “Going Global”. More than 120 companies and organisations, such as well-known law firms, leading asset evaluation agencies, large business service providers in China and abroad, and national-level human resources industrial parks are attending the exhibition online and offline.

Among them, many are the world’s top 500 firms and leading companies in their respective industries. The five-day supply chain and business services exhibition of the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) featuring renowned Chinese and international business service providers and their achievements in innovation will conclude today (September 5).
Pakistan Pavilion set up in China Int’l Fair for Trade in Services

A Pakistan National Pavilion being set up in the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) for the first time, China Economic Net (CEN) reported on Sunday.

The 2022 CIFTIS witnessed the flourishing business of these Pakistani merchants. With this platform, they are logging their growing appetite for the Chinese market. “How about this necklace? It’s more stunning than the former one. Yep dear all from Pakistan! Quality ones!” In front of the Pakistani jewelry stall stands a Chinese buyer who is in a video call with his wife, holding his mobile phone to shoot the gems shining in the booth.”

“It’s the very first time I participate in CIFTIS. This year we are looking to understand more about the Beijing market,” Pakistani jeweler Aqeel Ahmed Chaudhry told CEN. He is also the founder of WINZA from Pakistani gemstone firm Cosmo Enterprises Pvt Ltd.

Shanghai, the first stop for this Pakistani brand to shine in China, nourished its business and now, next destination – “next year we plan to open our next retail store in Beijing.”

Muhammad Kamil Khan, CEO of Pak Link Enterprises, has been participating in the fair for two consecutive years. He told the reporter that his stall to showcase high-end Pakistani handicrafts is much bigger than last year.

For the 2022 CIFTIS he applied for two stalls in different exhibition areas to exhibit quality onyx handicrafts and wood carving handicrafts to Chinese customers. Khan, who has been in the industry since 2012, got his own key to success. “Our design is specially made for Chinese customers, and they like it a lot,” he said. Likewise, Chaudhry, who has been living in China for more than a decade, knows it well when it comes to doing business in China. “We are cooperating with Chinese e-commerce giants like Tmall and Jingdong to make our way in Shanghai. I think digital payment is the future of payments in China.” “There are many countries coming to this fair and showcasing their most influential products and services, so I reckon it a good chance to explore more in the Chinese market,” Aqeel Ahmed Chaudhry further said, adding that he expects more bilateral cooperation in the coming future.

 

[Luosifen]

Chinese agriculture company to donate hybrid rice seeds to Pakistan​

By Wang Kai | China Economic Net Sep 27, 2022



WUHAN, Sept. 27 (China Economic Net) - “To support Pakistan in its fight against the floods, we will donate some seeds of hybrid rice to Pakistani farmers. We will also send more technicians to the country to support post-flood reconstruction”, said Mr. Zhou Xusheng, Director of Pakistan Business Department, Wuhan Qingfa Hesheng Seed Co., Ltd. a Chinese developer and provider of hybrid seeds, in an interview with China Economic Net (CEN).

The company has been providing hybrid seeds of rice, canola and vegetables to Pakistan for nearly twenty years. In particular, it registered the first hybrid rice variety -QY0413 in the history of Pakistan.

According to Mr. Zhou, North Sindh, home to 60% of the hybrid rice in Pakistan, is one of the worst-hit areas in the floods. It is expected that the export of rice, which is an important means for Pakistan to earn foreign exchange, will suffer greatly.

“It may take three years for the rice production and export in Pakistan to recover”, Mr. Zhou informed.

“By sending more technicians to the rural areas, we aim to improve the effective use of fertilizers and pesticides to achieve maximize production with minimum cost”, he said.

As extreme weather conditions have become more frequent, the company has laid out a blueprint to minimize losses from natural disasters.

First of all, the resistance of crop varieties should be improved. “For example, in China, our rice varieties have performed well in the usual heat wave this year. For floods, too, the varieties can be improved”, Mr. Zhou told CEN reporter.

Second, the production of seeds can be carried out both in Pakistan and China so that they can complement each other in case of extreme weather. Test stations can also be more scattered in different cities in to spread the risk.

Mr. Zhou also mentioned the importance of the repair of irrigation canals and ditches and road infrastructure. “It would be devastating for farmers if they could not sow normally in the coming months. Efforts are also required in the maintenance of soil fertility, land levelling, and prevention of diseases”, he added.

Chinese agriculture company to donate hybrid rice seeds to Pakistan

WUHAN, Sept. 27 (China Economic Net) - “To support Pakistan in its fight against the floods, we wil

gwadarpro.pk

 

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Buffalo embryos imported from Pakistan.

China’s General Administration of Customs issued a notice on the quarantine requirements for buffalo embryos imported from Pakistan.

It means that China and Pakistan have opened a trade channel for the import and export of buffalo embryos, and both countries will make a breakthrough in the process of improving animal husbandry with high-quality genetics.

Chinese experience with Pakistani buffalo dates back to 1974 when Pakistan presented China with 50 Nili-Ravi buffaloes, a world-famous breed of river dairy buffalo, as a national gift.Royal Group is the only listed buffalo milk processing company in China.

According to Derek Qin, Director of Overseas Business Department, Royal Cell Biotechnology (Guangxi) Co. Ltd, the sales volume of buffalo milk in China is about RMB 5 billion. Royal Group’s buffalo milk accounts for about 60 percent of the buffalo milk market in China as a whole.

After joining the “Belt and Road” project pool of China’s National Development and Reform Commission in June this year, Royal Cell’s “China-Pakistan Disease Free Pasture and Breeding Project” was again included in the first batch of agricultural projects under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) at the third meeting of the China-Pakistan Agricultural Joint Working Group held recently.

“In October 2020, Royal Group officially launched the “Dairy Buffalo Industry Upgrading Project” and established Royal Cell in May 2021.

“Royal Cell opened its first buffalo embryo production and research laboratory in Pakistan in May this year. Currently, the joint venture between Royal Cell and JW Group Pakistan, namely Royal JW Buffalo Industry Company, Ltd., is under registration and the farm construction will start next month.

“JW Group has excellent experience in working with Chinese companies. JW Group recognizes Royal Group’s whole industrial chain layout of milk buffalo in Pakistan, and highly affirms our ‘milk buffalo provenance chip strategy”.

Teng Cuijin, Chairman of Royal Cell Biotechnology told China Economic Net (CEN) in a recent interview that, Royal JW Buffalo Industry Company, Ltd plans to invest US$100 million over five years to build up buffalo farms and the whole supply chain of buffalo milk in Pakistan.

” It is expected to contribute an annual output value of US$90 million and create roughly 1,000 vacancies for Pakistanis in need, ranging from buffalos breeding, crop raising, milking and dairy processing.” In scientific research, we welcome Pakistani research institutions to the laboratory for exchanges and studies. We plan to provide training to local research institutions and universities, and share the technology of embryo production and buffalo breeding with the Pakistani people.”

 

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Pakistan’s agricultural products export to China to further grow: Commercial Counsellor​

October 3, 2022




BEIJING, Oct 02 (APP): Pakistan has rich potential of the export of agricultural products to China and the present government is taking concrete measures to take advantage of huge demand of fruits and vegetable in the Chinese markets, said Commercial Counsellor, Pakistan Embassy Beijing, Ghulam Qadir.

“I think, the increase in the agricultural products exported to China this year is still tip of iceberg. The potential is much more and we are working hard to further enhance our exports to China,” he told APP on Sunday.

According to the data from China Customs, Pakistan’s agricultural products exported to China from Jan to Aug 2022 reached US$730 million with a year-on-year increase of 28.59 percent. Pakistan’s agricultural exports to China are expected to exceed a record high of US$ 1 billion in 2022.

He informed that both Pakistani and the Chinese authorities were satisfied over the increase but they expressed a need to improve the trade balance between the two countries.

“So, we are working hard with the Chinese authorities for making more cooperation and we’re expecting some good news about exports of different products, he added.

Ghulam Qadir hoped that more export could also start and having US$1 billion worth of agricultural products’ exports to China was still not enough as compared to the overall potential of the Chinese market. He said that more efforts were needed to enhance exports and he vowed to continue to work with the relevant authorities in this regard.

The Commercial Counsellor said that at present, agricultural products including fruits, vegetable, sesame seed, pine nuts and seafoods were being exported to China. These are overall products, but we need to increase that basket and we are working on it, he added.

As per official data, Pakistan’s trade surplus with China in agricultural products also reached US$ 527 million with a year-on-year increase of 48.38 percent in the same period. The trade surplus of agricultural products for the whole year of 2021 was US$ 640 million with an increase of 13 times.

 

[Luosifen]

CPEC to boost Pakistan’s agricultural modernization and food industrialization​

By Mariam Raheem | Gwadar Pro Oct 25, 2022



LAHORE, Oct. 26 (Gwadar Pro) - “The main process of raising seedlings is to distribute the seeds evenly on the seedling bed, spray water to make the seeds stick to the soil, cover them with plastic film, and then build a small arch shed to increase temperature and humidity,” said Zhang Jishu, a Chinese pepper technician who is busy training Pakistani employees on how to grow pepper seedlings in a greenhouse in preparation for transplanting them into the fields next month.
Zhang is an expert from Sichuan Litong Food Co., Ltd. Talking to Gwadar Pro, he said that the company would implement a 1,000-acre pepper cultivation demonstration garden in Multan during the 2022-2023 growing season. In partnership with local agribusinesses and farmers in Pakistan, it intends to take over 15,000 acres of pepper orders in South Punjab, with a planned harvest of 30,000 tonnes of dried pepper. The company also plans to build two pepper processing plants in Lahore and Multan and is currently in the process of locating them.

Pakistani farmers harvest chili peppers in May.
Litong completed cultivar selection and trial planting in 2019, experimental planting in 2020, and small-scale planting in 2021. Last month, the project organized and implemented by the company entered the first batch of agricultural projects under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Pepper is an essential vegetable and condiment in China, with many processed products, a lengthy industrial chain, and high added value. The Chinese market has a huge demand for bulk crops such as peppers and broad beans. Meanwhile, poor seed quality, lack of modern farming techniques, low yields and lack of skilled agricultural labor are among the major factors holding back agricultural development in Pakistan.
To harvest high-quality peppers, Litong is providing technology and training to local farmers. It has carried out cooperation with Pakistani colleges and universities to cultivate talents with both agricultural knowledge and management ability, recruit local professional managers and top-notch technical talents. In China, it cooperates with Sichuan Agricultural University and other institutions to set up demonstration bases for industry-university-research projects.
Seeds are the "chips" of agriculture. Chen Changwei, Chairman of Litong claimed that the company would bring China's advanced breeding technology to Pakistan next year, work with Pakistan's outstanding agricultural enterprises to carry out a variety of technology researches, production, industrial development researches, technical training, the establishment of R&D and testing platform, marketing and human resources platform, giving full play to the leading role of agricultural technology under CPEC.
According to Chen, there is a huge demand in the global market, strong complementarity in the food sector between China and Pakistan, and bright prospects for food processing.
Currently, there is an urgent need for Pakistan to address the insufficient foreign exchange reserves through exports. “Through the way of industrial integration, Sichuan Litong will trade agricultural products and food processing products in Pakistan with other countries,” Chen said, “it is estimated that by 2026, the trade volume of agricultural food processing products will reach USD 3 billion per year.”

 

[Luosifen]

Luban workshop promotes agricultural cooperation between China and Pakistan​

By Liao Yifan | Gwadar Pro Nov 2, 2022



TIANJIN, Nov. 2 (Gwadar Pro) - An online signing ceremony of agricultural machinery training program was held simultaneously at Tianjin Modern Vocational Technology College (TMVTC) and MNS University of Agriculture Multan through Internet cloud technology. Initiated by the Pakistani Luban Workshop, the program aims to promote China-Pakistan vocational education cooperation and serve international agricultural capacity cooperation under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Online signing ceremony of agricultural machinery training program [Photo provided by TMVTC]
The training course pinpoints the huge demand for corn cultivation and harvesting in Punjab province. With the theme of "Application and Maintenance Technology of Self-propelled Corn Harvester”, 8 lectures and 2 seminars will be held within around one month.

“Application and Maintenance Technology of Self-propelled Corn Harvester” training course [Photo provided by TMVTC]
Those online courses focus on topics such as Tianjin's advantageous agriculture going global, development trend of agricultural machinery, application of UAV technology in agriculture and introduction of Luban Workshop project.

Prof. Zhang Baoqian (R2), agricultural machinery expert at Tianjin Agricultural Development Service Center, delivers keynote speech [Photo provided by TMVTC]
The organizers invited experts and senior engineers from several teaching and research institutes and enterprises in Tianjin to give lectures. Through the "cloud classroom", Chinese personnel provided targeted training to teachers and students of MNS University of Agriculture Multan, senior engineers of the Punjab Agricultural Mechanization Institute and advanced agricultural machinery users in Pakistan. Prof. Sun Deling, former Vice President of Tianjin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and Prof. Zhang Baoqian, agricultural machinery expert at Tianjin Agricultural Development Service Center, delivered keynote speeches on "Tianjin's Agricultural Advantages and Scientific Research Achievements" and "Technology and Equipment for Full-scale Mechanization of Maize Production" respectively.

Prof. Sun Deling (L2), former Vice President of Tianjin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, delivers keynote speech [Photo provided by TMVTC]
The organizers also invited staff from Tianjin Tailai Import and Export Co., Ltd to share their experience of agricultural machinery going abroad, and give a keynote speech on "Serving CPEC, Cultivating Agricultural Skills Talents”, introducing the practical experience of school-enterprise cooperation in improving agricultural capacity.
According to TMVTC, training equipment used for this online teaching is maize harvester produced by Yongmeng Machinery Co., Ltd. The company will donate relevant equipment to Pakistan, and those equipment will arrive at MNS Agricultural University in December for offline practice.
Luban Workshop, launched and run by Tianjin, represents a win-win model for international vocational education cooperation, sharing China's educational achievements and resources with countries in need.
In April 2017, TMVTC and MNS University of Agriculture signed an MoU of cooperation to establish a Luban Workshop in Pakistan.
Since its operation in Pakistan in 2018, TMVTC has been continuously promoting the construction of projects in Pakistan. Focusing on academic education and vocational training respectively, the college has established two Luban workshops in Lahore and Multan in collaboration with its Pakistani partners.
Those workshops will explore the development of whole-process mechanization training for one or two kinds of crops, provide high-quality vocational skills training for Pakistani youths under the mode of international industry-education cooperation, and facilitate cooperation between Chinese and Pakistani agriculture-related enterprises.

 

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Signing ceremony of Pak-China agricultural machinery training program held​

November 4, 2022



BEIJING, Nov 3 (APP): An online signing ceremony of agricultural machinery training program has been held simultaneously at Tianjin Modern Vocational Technology College (TMVTC) and MNS University of Agriculture Multan through Internet cloud technology.

Initiated by the Pakistani Luban Workshop, the program aims to promote China-Pakistan vocational education cooperation and serve international agricultural capacity cooperation under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The training course pinpoints the huge demand for corn cultivation and harvesting in Punjab province. With the theme of “Application and Maintenance Technology of Self-propelled Corn Harvester, 8 lectures and 2 seminars will be held within around one month,” CEN reported.
Those online courses focus on topics such as Tianjin’s advantageous agriculture going global, development trend of agricultural machinery, application of UAV technology in agriculture and introduction of Luban Workshop project.

The organizers invited experts and senior engineers from several teaching and research institutes and enterprises in Tianjin to give lectures. Through the “cloud classroom”, Chinese personnel provided targeted training to teachers and students of MNS University of Agriculture Multan, senior engineers of the Punjab Agricultural Mechanization Institute and advanced agricultural machinery users in Pakistan.


Prof. Sun Deling, former Vice President of Tianjin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and Prof. Zhang Baoqian, agricultural machinery expert at Tianjin Agricultural Development Service Center, delivered keynote speeches on “Tianjin’s Agricultural Advantages and Scientific Research Achievements” and “Technology and Equipment for Full-scale Mechanization of Maize Production” respectively.

The organizers also invited staff from Tianjin Tailai Import and Export Co., Ltd to share their experience of agricultural machinery going abroad, and give a keynote speech on “Serving CPEC, Cultivating Agricultural Skills Talents, introducing the practical experience of school-enterprise cooperation in improving agricultural capacity.

According to TMVTC, training equipment used for this online teaching is maize harvester produced by Yongmeng Machinery Co., Ltd. The company will donate relevant equipment to Pakistan, and those equipment will arrive at MNS Agricultural University in December for offline practice.

Luban Workshop, launched and run by Tianjin, represents a win-win model for international vocational education cooperation, sharing China’s educational achievements and resources with countries in need.

In April 2017, TMVTC and MNS University of Agriculture signed an MoU of cooperation to establish a Luban Workshop in Pakistan.

Since its operation in Pakistan in 2018, TMVTC has been continuously promoting the construction of projects in Pakistan. Focusing on academic education and vocational training respectively, the college has established two Luban workshops in Lahore and Multan in collaboration with its Pakistani partners.

Those workshops will explore the development of whole-process mechanization training for one or two kinds of crops, provide high-quality vocational skills training for Pakistani youths under the mode of international industry-education cooperation, and facilitate cooperation between Chinese and Pakistani agriculture-related enterprises.

 

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Pakistan can tap opportunities to modernise agriculture sector under CPEC: Dr Liaqat Ali Shah​

November 25, 2022




ISLAMABAD-Pakistan can modernise its agriculture sector with China’s help to boost the national economy, WealthPK reported.The cooperation between China and Pakistan can prove significant for the development of the agriculture sector in the latter.

Pakistan has enormous potential to access the huge agricultural market in China through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Dr Liaqat Ali Shah, Executive Director and Head of the Policy Division at CPEC Authority, told WealthPK that the mega project would boost the agriculture sector in Pakistan.

He said that CPEC offered a great opportunity to cement bilateral cooperation and mitigate the trade imbalance between the two countries.

“The agriculture sector is playing a crucial role in the country’s economy through a variety of channels. However, in the current scenario, agriculture in Pakistan is facing several challenges including shortage of water, sudden climate fluctuations, shortage of pesticides, unavailability of proper seeds, poor infrastructure and lack of innovative research.

These issues can be mitigated through modern technology and strong policies,” he said. Dr Laiqat Ali said that agriculture is the backbone of the national economy. He said that the involvement and cooperation of China could mark a new era in the modernisation of Pakistan’s agriculture sector.

He said that the economy of Pakistan depends heavily on agriculture. He said that Pakistan’s economy could not become stable without the development of the agriculture sector. “Agricultural production is a top priority for the Pakistani government and proactive measures have been taken to reduce costs and improve efficiency in the industry.

Rapid population growth creates a greater need to modernise agriculture across the country,” he said. Dr Liaqat Ali said that there was considerable potential for cooperation between China and Pakistan in various fields such as agriculture, rural development and capacity building for farmers.

He said that cooperation by China in the field of agriculture would enable Pakistan to overcome the challenges and boost the export of agricultural products to China and other countries. He said that agriculture is a core export industry, contributing significantly to Pakistan’s foreign exchange besides assisting other economic sectors to expand.

It is a manifestation of the fact that the agriculture sector is vital for the country’s overall economy,” he added. He said that due to its ability to quickly end poverty and produce economic benefits, agriculture has a competitive advantage over other sectors of the economy.

“Pakistan needs to adopt modern agricultural methods to boost this sector. Agriculture productivity can be increased by the use of modern technology and improvement in existing technology. We can integrate the growth of food crops and that of cash crops by adapting to local conditions, building on strengths and avoiding weaknesses,” Dr Liaqat Ali.

 

[ghazi52]

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Seed ID technology of China to be introduced in Pakistan​

December 15, 2022



The technology, developed by Jianghan University in China, can identify seed kinds at the molecular level and build a DNA database of seeds, assisting owners in better protecting their intellectual property rights and decreasing seed counterfeiting and adulteration.

Zhou Xusheng, the company’s Director of Pakistan Business said that fake, low-quality seeds have been weakening Pakistan’s crop productivity. The validity of seeds will be verified more readily and efficiently using the MNP marker approach, according to China Economic Net (CEN).

For imported germplasm resources, the system can swiftly identify intellectual property owners, differentiate fundamentally derived varieties from counterfeits, and boost seed sector innovation. This MNP technique can be applied to a variety of crops, including potato, sugar cane, rice, maize, soybean, cotton, peanut, millet, and vegetable crops, among others.

Furthermore, it will expedite new variety approval, guide seed development, and promote seed quality and protection, according to Zhou.
BEIJING, Dec 14 (APP): Wuhan Qingfa Hesheng Seed Co. Ltd signed a letter of intent with Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) this month on promoting MNP marker technology in Pakistan, a method to identify plant varieties.


The method, developed by Jianghan University, China, can identify seed varieties at the molecular level and construct the DNA database of seeds, thus helping better protect owners’ Intellectual Property rights and reducing the counterfeit and adulteration of seeds.

According to Zhou Xusheng, Director of Pakistan Business of the company, fake, low-quality seeds have been undermining Pakistan’s crop production. With MNP marker method, the authenticity of seeds will be detected more easily and efficiently, China Economic Net (CEN) reported.

For imported germ plasm resources, the technology can quickly clarify the intellectual property owners, distinguish essentially derived varieties from counterfeits, and encourage innovation in the seed industry.

This MNP technology can be applied to multiple crops, be it vegetative or generative propagation, such as potato, sugar cane, rice, maize, soybean, cotton, peanut, millet, and vegetable crops etc.

Moreover, according to Zhou, it will facilitate new variety approval, guide seed breeding, and promote seed quality and protection.

 

[Luosifen]

2022 winding up: CPEC Agri Corridor sows seeds of economic growth​

By Yasir Habib Khan | Gwadar Pro Dec 16, 2022



GWADAR, Dec. 16 (Gwadar Pro) - As 2022 draws close, the agriculture sector has gained manifold tractions under China-Pakistan agriculture cooperation promising the phenomenal agri growth in the length and breadth of Pakistan.
Given the comprehensive spectrum of cooperation under “CPEC Green Corridor” throughout the year in 2022, the agriculture sector has recorded a remarkable growth of 4.4% and surpassed the target of 3.5% as well as last year’s growth of 3.48% during FY2022.
According to Economic Survey, the growth in the agriculture sector recorded 4.4% and surpassed the target of 3.5%. This remarkable growth is mainly underpinned by China-led assistance to Pakistan of many facets relating transfer of hands-on experience in the fields of intercropping, high-yield seeds, pest control, hybrid cultivation, corporate farming, innovate irrigation technique, agri machinery training, agri research & development, protocol for Pak agri exports to China, digital farming and agri labor skills.
Since Sino-Pak agriculture has continued to deepen in 2022, Pakistan’s agricultural products exported to China from January to August 2022 reached $730 million with a year-on-year increase of 28.59%. Pakistan’s agricultural exports to China are expected to exceed a record high of $1 billion next year.
On the back of 2022 agri sector’s milestone achievement, the focus of next year under CPEC Green Corridor will be continuing on improving land cultivation area, water management, better access to markets for inputs (seeds, fertilizers, farm mechanization, credit, water) and outputs, improved infrastructure including storage and cooling facilities, reduction in post-harvest losses, greater investment in research, development and extension, improved quality and fulfillment of quarantine requirements for international markets and competitiveness, greater diversification, especially minor but high-value crops, farm input and effectiveness of markets.
The announcement of three new corridors under CPEC including China-Pakistan Green Corridor (CPGC), which focuses on agricultural environment and food security speaks volumes about the significance of agricultural cooperation in CPEC.
INTERCROPPING
The inauguration of the Intercropping Research Center jointly established by Sichuan Agricultural University (SAU) and the Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB) in 2021 showed fantastic results in the 2022 season. According to a news report a few weeks ago, China’s maize-soybean strip intercropping technology completed harvest at 65 demonstration sites in Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recently, and the production of maize and soybeans reached 8,490 kg and 889 kg per hectare respectively in the intercropped fields. Compared with the production of solely cropped maize and soybeans at these 65 sites which are 8,995 kg and 1,531 kg per hectare respectively, the intercropping technology definitely creates much more economic benefits. Good news is that the researchers are also developing the strip intercropping systems of maize-peanut, maize-pea, sugarcane-soybean, sugarcane-mustard, wheat-mustard, wheat-soybean, wheat-chickpea, potato-maize and canola-pea.
RESEARCH & TRAINING INITIATIVES
Another healthy development in the agriculture sector happened in June, 2022 when a newly developed centre at Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (AAUR), the CPEC-Agriculture Cooperation Centre (ACC), announced to perform policy research, assist Chinese businesses in working in the agriculture sector, and foster institutional cooperation. Pakistan is also looking forward to enhance banana production with Chinese cooperation. According to Nosherwan Haider, CEO of the Sprouts Biotech Laboratories, Pakistan contributes less than 0.5% to the global banana market whereas China contributes about 4.5%.
Cotton germplasm is another significant component in Pak-China agricultural cooperation. For many years, China and Pakistan have cooperated in the field of gathering and identifying cotton germplasm resources. In order to determine which cotton germplasms are resistant to heat, drought, diseases, and insect pests in various locations and environments, Institute of Cotton Research (ICR) of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), collaborated with Cotton Research Institute (CRI), Multan, University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF), and some other universities and scientific research institutions. During July, 2022, Tianjin Modern Vocational Technology College (TMVTC), China and MNS-University of Agriculture, Multan (MNSUAM), Pakistan signed an online agreement for an agricultural machinery training program of Luban Workshop in Pakistan. The two institutions will jointly promote the sci-tech exchanges and cooperation on agricultural machinery, germplasm resources and agricultural environment.
ENHANCING NEW CROP YIELD
Earlier this year, Zhang Jishu from Sichuan Litong Food Co., Ltd. announced that his company would implement a 1,000-acre pepper cultivation demonstration garden in Multan during the 2022-2023 growing season. In partnership with local agribusinesses and farmers in Pakistan, it intends to take over 15,000 acres of pepper orders in South Punjab, with a planned harvest of 30,000 tonnes of dried pepper. Additionally, the company intends to construct two pepper processing plants in Lahore and Multan and is in the process of locating suitable sites.
Pakistan is also working to grow the sorghum crops as, along with the three main basic foods of the globe, sorghum is a crop that has increasingly gained acceptance around the world. During the Symposium on Sorghum Industry Development of China and Pakistan organized during 2022, there was a consensus that, sorghum is a versatile crop that can be useful in supplying food and fodder.
HYBRID CULTIVATION & FLOOD RELIEF
Hybrid farming is growing in Pakistan in a variety of sectors, as the Executive Member of the Asia and Pacific Seed Association and General Manager of Wuhan Qingfa Hesheng Seed Company, Zhu Xiaobo said that the hybrid canola variety developed by her company has been planted in Pakistan on about 10,000 hectares of land, covering around 6000 households. In the next three to five years, they expect it to expand to over 40,000 hectares and provide more and healthier edible oil to Pakistanis. Similarly Sino-Pak cooperation in cauliflower farming through hybrid seeds is also expanding. As Pakistan faced one of the worst flood calamities in 2022, consequently loosing drastic crop yield, Wuhan-based hybrid seed developer and supplier China also announced to donate hybrid rice seeds to mitigate flood impact on agriculture and food security. According to the Chairman of the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali, to raise the average productivity and output of Pakistan's crops and to mitigate the harm caused by the floods, experts from Pakistan and China are developing hybrid wheat types.
CORPORTE FARMING
To facilitate the swift development of agri-sector in the country, the Punjab cabinet approved the leasing out of state land for corporate farming as part of the CPEC initiative in the first week of March 2022. The move, according to agriculturalists, would be a revolutionary one for Pakistan's farming industry. Corporate farming describes the direct ownership or leasing of farmland by business organizations for the purpose of producing goods for their in-house processing needs or for the open market. The Punjab Agriculture Department also made an effort to attract Chinese investment through the initiative by offering partnerships in organic farming, high-tech agricultural mechanization for both domestic and international markets, the development of precision and high-value agriculture, the development and production of seed technology, manufacturing of pesticides and fertilizer units along the CPEC route, and value-added processing facilities.
Digital Farming & Pest Control
PARC and Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences (YAAS) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to promote agricultural cooperation between Pakistan and China at an online ceremony held in Beijing and Kunming during June 2022. YAAS specializes in the plant protection and pest control. During recent times, food crisis was prevented in the country's southern regions thanks to China's thorough and prompt assistance in fighting locust swarms. To increase crop yield, climate resilience, water management, and aid in the fight against natural disasters like locust infestation, collaborations in precision agriculture and early warning systems should be further expanded. Pakistan may be more interested in receiving assistance in climate-smart agriculture as China's digital agro-economy is set to increase to over $100 billion. Incorporating cutting-edge information technology could therefore contribute to a third green revolution.

 

[ghazi52]

,..,
The announcement of three new corridors under CPEC including China-Pakistan Green Corridor (CPGC), which focuses on agricultural environment and food security speaks volumes about the significance of agricultural cooperation in CPEC.

The inauguration of the Intercropping Research Center jointly established by Sichuan Agricultural University (SAU) and the Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB) in 2021 showed fantastic results in the 2022 season.

Another healthy development in the agriculture sector happened in June, 2022 when a newly developed centre at Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (AAUR), the CPEC-Agriculture Cooperation Centre (ACC), announced to perform policy research, assist Chinese businesses in working in the agriculture sector, and foster institutional cooperation.

 

[Luosifen]

China helping Pakistan cut oilseed imports amid economic challenges​

By Wang Xiaotong | China Economic Net Jan 17, 2023



BEIJING, Jan. 17 (China Economic Net) - As Pakistan has been confronted with severe economic challenges especially after massive countryside floods, with the shrinking foreign exchange reserves, the country’s various imports are putting additional financial strain.
Statistics from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) show that in FY2021, Pakistan’s imports of soya beans, whether or not broken, reached about $1.145 billion, a strong growth of about 50% year-on-year, exhibiting the country’s urgent demand for soybeans. However, in the first quarter of FY2023, Pakistan’s soybean imports were $269 million, down about 18% year-on-year, which may had been affected by the decline of the country’s foreign exchange reserves.
Soybean production should be adequately considered by Pakistan because of the country’s over dependence on imports of soybeans.
Lack of high-quality seeds, high-yielding planting patterns and machinery restricting Pak soybean production
“We are dependent on imports. It is very expensive which causes increase in the price of feed, oil etc. day by day. It is our need to plant it in our country,” Hafiz Saad Bin Mustafa, Oilseed Scientist, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute said.
According to him, In Pakistan, all crops are non-GMO except cotton. “Most foreign varieties that we import are of mild areas and GMO. They can neither be planted here nor can they survive here. So seeds of local varieties should be multiplied and should be promoted in the potential areas that we have identified by our trials and adoptability studies,” Hafiz said. As he sees it, since soybean is mostly cultivated in such countries as America, Brazil and Argentina where there is mild climate, Pakistan needs to develop its own non-GMO soybean verities that can perform well in high temperatures.
“We do not produce good quality seeds, and the total seed production is twenty percent in different crops. There is a huge gap. At present we are dependent on imported seeds for different crops even for wheat, rice, cotton and vegetables, and the same is with soybeans. We should produce it locally,” Dr. Zahir Ahmad, In-charge, Soybean Breading Lab, University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) said.
According to Dr. Zahir Ahmad, farmer needs specific planters, harvesters and threshers. “Mechanization is one of the best approaches by which we can increase soybean production. In this way we need less labor, less time and less storage time,” he said.
China helping Pakistan find a way out of predicament
Talking about the latest progress of soybean production in Pakistan, Dr. Zahir Ahmad emphasized that now their focus is intercropping-specific soybean promotion, which is a high-yielding technology from China.
“Dr. Muhammad Ali Raza from the Islamia University of Bahawalpur who was recently graduated from Sichuan Agricultural University, China has expertise in intercropping especially soybean intercropping with different crops, and he has efficiently introduced this technology in different areas of Pakistan. We have been collaborating with China at different stages and in different technologies,” Dr. Zahir Ahmad said.

Maize-soybean strip intercropping plots in Bahawalpur, Pakistan. [Photo/CEN]
Hafiz Saad Bin Mustafa is also working on promoting maize-soybean intercropping technology brought by Dr. Ali and has achieved promising results. “Many people thought soybean can’t be cultivated in Pakistan but I didn’t think that way. Dr. Ali supported my point. People were not shifting to soybean because they thought it’s a competition with maize. However, with intercropping, people can grow maize and soybean at the same place. Then we identified intercropping specific lines or varieties. We provide those lines to Dr. Ali for evaluation since the last two years. The yield advantage is double or 2.5 times higher than the conventional varieties,” he said.
In Hafiz’s opinion, soybean intercropping technology fits Pakistan’s conditions well and is hopefully to be applied in more areas. “Traditional rice areas or cotton areas lie uncultivated for a specific time period as no crop fits it at that time period. We roughly made a calculation and estimated that if we use 60% of that kind of land, we can make profit of at least $3 billion annually. This is from the area that is uncultivated, free and on which farmers are unable to earn anything. We have grown soybean in those areas. Secondly, Soybean is a leguminous plant. It fixes atmospheric nitrogen as it contains nitrogen fixing root nodules. By this the fertility level of free soil will also increase and farmers will need less nitrogen for the next crop. So, you are making economic gains and getting soybean crops plus soil fertility is also improved. So we are doing this,” Hafiz analyzed.
“As we know, Pakistan’s oilseed import bill is increasing. We are importing in billions of dollars. If we locally produce soybean, we can cope with the challenge of importing oilseeds. In addition, China is the largest importer of soybean from USA. If we produce soybean locally in our country, we can have the chance to export soybean to China instead of importing it,” Muqadas Saleem, Scientist Soybean Breeding, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad said.

China helping Pakistan cut oilseed imports amid economic challenges

BEIJING, Jan. 17 (China Economic Net) - As Pakistan has been confronted with severe economic challen

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