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Pakistan's tree-planting drive has a sweetener: more honey

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The amount of honey harvested by beekeepers in the 12,500-acre forest almost doubled in the past year.

Reuters

When authorities started planting millions of trees in the Changa Manga Forest five years ago, the idea was to bring back life to forest land that had been destroyed by illegal logging, water scarcity and fires.

Now that the trees have matured, they are having an even sweeter side-effect — helping to boost the local bee population and honey production in the area.

As part of Pakistan's efforts to offset the impacts of climate change by rehabilitating forests, conserving soil and improving water management, 3.5 million trees were planted on 6,000 acres in Changa Manga, known as one of the world's largest man-made forests, near the city of Lahore.

Beekeepers in the plantation said they are now harvesting up to 70 per cent more honey than before the greening project started in 2014, as the trees provide a habitat for bees and create conditions for a growing diversity of plants and flowers.

“As more of the plantation has been created, our honey production has kept on increasing,” said Bilal Hussain, a beekeeper in Changa Manga whose father runs the forest's honey operations.

“We will get even more income over the next four to five years,” Hussain said excitedly, as he extracted honey from a piece of honeycomb to pack into bottles to sell at his shop.

The amount of honey harvested by beekeepers in the 12,500-acre forest almost doubled from 725 kilogrammes in the fiscal year 2018-2019 to about 1,300 kg in 2019-2020, said forest officer Shahid Tabassum.

And the amount of sticky stuff coming out of Changa Manga is estimated to keep rising to about 2,000 kg in the next fiscal year, Tabassum added.

The old forest had three main species of trees, to which at least seven have been added, he noted.

“The forest cover plays an important role in the increase of honey production because honeybees get shelter, shade and water from the trees,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Globally, there has been a drastic decline in bee numbers, largely due to intensive agriculture, pesticide use and climate change, environmentalists say.

A study published in the journal Science in April found that the world's population of land-dwelling insects is falling by almost 1pc every year.



Export success

The boost in honey production is sweet relief for cash-strapped Pakistan, which got a $6 billion bailout package from the International Monetary Fund last year.

The country has seen a drop in its exports and foreign remittances since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in March, according to independent economist Vaqar Ahmed.

He expects to see a further decline in the money coming into Pakistan as European and Gulf countries continue to wrestle with the economic effects of the outbreak.

Most of Pakistan's remittances come from Gulf states, while European Union nations are the main markets for its exports, he explained.

Pakistan's exports dropped from $20.1bn in July-April 2019 to about $19.6bn in the same period this year, data from the State Bank of Pakistan shows.

But industry experts expect honey to buck that trend.

In the financial year 2018-2019, Pakistan exported honey worth Rs966m ($5.8 million), about Rs260m more than the year before, according to the government's Honeybee Research Institute (HBRI) in Islamabad.

Figures for this year's honey exports are not available yet.

But industry insiders predicted they will keep going up, as the country's beekeepers benefit from the trees in Changa Manga along with Pakistan's ongoing push to reforest the country under its “10 Billion Tree Tsunami” project, launched last year.

Pakistan has 7,000 commercial beekeepers looking after more than one million beehives but has enough space for double that number, according to data from the HBRI.

And while planting trees expands the habitat for bees, the pollinators, in turn, help to naturally regenerate more forest areas with a variety of trees, plants and flowers, said Noor Islam, the bee institute's senior scientific officer.

“Honey production and forestry are interrelated because the honeybees get their food from trees, while trees, as a result, maintain their biodiversity,” he said.


Trees for bees

Malik Amin Aslam, the climate change advisor to Prime Minister Imran Khan, said that nurturing the relationship between trees and bees is a priority for the 10 Billion Trees project.

He told the Thomson Reuters Foundation that in several honey-producing areas the project is planting bee-friendly trees such as the indigenous bari tree — also known as ziziphus mauritiana or jujube.

The tree's honey is sought after for its low glucose content, which makes it less likely to crystallise, he said.

But Syed Mahmood Nasir, head of the Islamabad-based Nature Clicks Institution, a non-profit focused on the environment and anthropology, warned that growing Pakistan's honey industry is not as simple as planting more trees.

Authorities need to be clear on whether they want a replanted forest to produce wild or farmed honey, with each requiring different management and resources, explained Nasir, who was formerly the government's inspector-general of forests.

Either way, “they should ensure that no pesticides are used within at least 10 miles of the forest”, he added.

For Changa Manga beekeeper Hussain, Pakistan's bee-boosting reforestation efforts make him optimistic he can carry on the business his father has been running for the last 45 years.

Hussain fondly recalled a childhood spent watching his dad extract honey straight from the beehives to give to customers.

“My biggest motivation for this work is that my father has had a special affection for honey since he was a boy and he doesn't want this fondness to end,” he said.

“We will do it generation by generation. As long as the forest is there, honey is there.”

Header image: Beekeeper Muhammad Asif Ali looks at a piece of honeycomb at Changa Manga Forest in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province, around 75 kilometres from Lahore on June 3, 2020. — Reuters
 
Thal Canal project
We hope the significant project does not fall prey to politics
Editorial | July 12, 2020

The order by Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar that work on the Greater Thal Canal should start without any further loss of time has kindled hopes of revival of the 160-year-old project. The canal will irrigate barren lands in the districts of south Punjab, thereby increasing food production manifold in the country. The main canal will be 35km long and its water-carrying capacity will be 8,500 cusecs. The length of branch canals will be 344km. The canal system will irrigate 290,000 acres of land in Bhakkar, Layyah, Muzaffargarh, Khushab and Jhang, increasing food production in these districts by as much as 40%.

The project was planned by the then government in 1860 and funds had also been allocated for it. It was, however, shelved due to the changing priorities of the government. The Mankirah branch of the Greater Thal Canal was completed in 2008, but after that the work was stopped. The Asian Development Bank has announced a grant of $150 million for the Chobarra branch of the canal. Now the chief minister has announced start of work on the project. Last year, Mr Buzdar had also laid the foundation stone of the 120-year-old Jalalpur canal system.

For the Thal Canal Project, the Punjab government will provide all sorts of resources, manpower and expertise. The chief minister has ordered that the legal process for acquisition of land for the purpose should be expedited and transparency should be ensured in payment for the acquired land. Experts are of the opinion that the canal will also help overcome the water shortage by preventing the rapidly declining groundwater level. The recent wheat shortage has also led the authorities to resume work on the long-stalled canal project. The resumption of work on the Thal Canal will increase food production which will not only make the country self-reliant in food but surplus will be available for export. We hope the significant project does not fall prey to politics.




Published in The Express Tribune, July 12th, 2020.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2254466/thal-canal-project?amp=1
 
Punjab develops IT solution to wheat problem

Province will roll out digital system to monitor, regulate wheat sales



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LAHORE: The Punjab government is pivoting towards a digital solution to strengthen its wheat monitoring and regulation mechanism, and to prevent hoarding and price gouging, The Express Tribune has learnt.

According to sources, the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) has developed software to help the province’s food authorities to track and regulate wheat and flour delivery in the open market.

Sharing details of how the new system would work, officials said flour mill operators would have to record how much flour they supplied to dealers in the Flour Ledger Management Information System (FLMIS), developed by the PITB, on a daily basis.

“Once mills update the system, dealers will receive an SMS, asking them to confirm how much flour they have been supplied and from which mill,” an official said.

“In case the dealer contradicts the record in the SMS, the food department will investigate and take appropriate action against the mill involved.”

The software will be introduced in conjunction with a new system that will make it mandatory for flour dealers in Punjab to hold food grain licences.

“A food grain licence would be necessary to either sell flour or store more than 10 bags of flour,” the official added. “Flour dealers will have three months to get food grain licences. After that, flour mills will be prohibited from selling flour to non-licence holders.”

Moreover, the sources said only about a tenth of Punjab’s more than 10,000 flour dealers held grain licences, issued by the food department, at present. They added that only 850 out of 972 mills inspected by deputy commissioners on the food department’s request were found to be functional.

Once FLMIS was deployed, the food department would only be responsible for ensuring the supply of flour to dealers, the officials mentioned. City administrations and the industrial department would be responsible for ensuring the availability of flour in the open market, they added.
 
Rs30bn package to be announced for farmers next month: minister

15 Jul, 2020


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Minister says locust attack may cause a loss of about Rs600bn to the economy. — APP/File
ISLAMABAD: National Food Security Minister Syed Fakhar Imam said on Tuesday a package of Rs30 billion would be announced for farmers on August 14.

While reviewing the desert locust situation in the country, the minister said that prior to its official announcement, the package would be approved by the Economic Coordination Committee of the cabinet.

He said in a statement that the provinces would also announce packages for farmers on the Independence Day.

Mr Imam said the attacks by desert locusts were estimated to cause a loss of Rs600bn to the national economy. The challenge of desert locust was being tackled with the support of all provinces and a national action plan was already underway to tackle the threat, he added.

Says locust attack may cause a loss of about Rs600bn to the economy

The minister said that the National Locust Control Centre, along with the National Disaster Management Authority and district administrations, was making efforts to control the locusts. About 8,000 troops were deployed in the anti-locust operation, he added.

In the meantime, as the risk of swarm migration from Horn of Africa to India and Pakistan has increased, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations has warned the two countries to take preparatory actions.

The new report, made available on Tuesday, says desert locust swarms in northern Somalia suggest that migration from northeast Somalia across the Indian Ocean to the summer breeding areas along both sides of the Indo-Pakistan border could be imminent.

Summer breeding has commenced along both sides of the Indo-Pakistan border, where numerous swarms are present mainly in Rajasthan, India. Hatching and band formation will increase during this month in Rajasthan and northern Gujarat as well as adjacent areas of Tharparkar, Nara and Cholistan deserts in Pakistan.

A few residual populations remain in the spring breeding areas of southeast Iran and southwest Pakistan.

Quoting latest reports, Mr Imam said that the locusts were present in all the 33 districts of Balochistan while new swarms would enter Pakistan from Iran and Afghanistan in two weeks.

Speaking at the Institute of Policy Reforms on the issue of improving the performance of the agriculture sector, the minister said that time had come to encourage qualitative practices in agriculture as farmers were not being rewarded properly.

“Our agriculture relies on imported seeds, and it is high time, we bring about improvement in seed technology in a big way. Pakistan has outdated seed technology, resulting in low yields, and for that reason, the country imports oilseeds and pulses.

“On the other hand our genetic engineering has also failed to bring about any major change in agricultural production. The local seed industry has at the same time not contributed much to agricultural production till now,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2020
 
Govt to give Rs 37 billion subsidy to farmers


The Frontier Post

July 17, 2020


ISLAMABAD (APP): Minister for Food Security Syed Fakhar Imam Friday said the government had approved a package of Rs 37 billion to give subsidy to farmers on fertilisers and other inputs while discussion was continuing with the ministries of finance and power to provide subsidy on tubewells used for agriculture.

Giving a policy statement on agriculture in the National Assembly,he said the government needed to introduce good quality seed for wheat and cotton crops to increase the per acre yield. Good quality graded cotton will help increase exports of the country, he added.

He appreciated the government’s plan to build Diamer Bhasha dam, saying it was a paradigm shift and this will be the first major dam to be built after the Mangla and Tarbela dams constructed under the Indus Water Treaty signed between India and Pakistan.

Developed countries were using water for agriculture in an efficient way while Pakistan’s river water drained in the Arabian sea and was not used, he added.

“Our neighbour China built thousands of dams including its spectacular Three Gorges dam.”

He said the government will improve and maintain its 150 years old canal system besides enhancing the on farm water management capacity of farmers.

The minister said 23 million hectares land was under cultivation in Pakistan while 70 percent of this cultivable land was in Punjab. Wheat was cultivated on 36 percent of the land available for agriculture, he added.

Fakhar said Pakistan had a number of research institutions at the federal and provincial levels, adding research in universities was not upto the mark because of lack of funding.

Pakistan was left behind in terms of cotton crop as its production had fallen, he noted.

According to official figures, 9.1 million bales of cotton was produced in the country against the record of 14.8 million bales in the past, he observed.

Effort will be made to provide quality cotton seed to farmers for the next season. The total seed requirement for cotton crop was 40000 tonnes, he added.

Fakhar mentioned that Punjab Seed Corporation was a leading department which provided 30 percent of seed of cotton and 20 percent of seed of wheat all across Pakistan but now it was only supplying 2-3 percent of the seed. He said he would recommend that the government should give subsidy to farmers in the provinces for buying of quality approved seed for crops. He said spinners and ginners make profit of Rs 30 billion to Rs 60 billion each year at the time of buying cotton from the farmers.

He stressed on the need for building of warehouses and cold storages under the public private partnership to preserve fruits and vegetables and increase their exports presently at the level of $ 600-700 million.

The world had the option to buy its fruits from different countries including South Africa, Brazil, Portugal and Spain so Pakistan needed to upgrade quality of its fruits, he added. He said the government gave support price of Rs 1400 per maund to the wheat farmers, however in the open market the wheat was sold upto Rs 1800 per maund.

The government had allowed import of 0.7 million of wheat to stabilise prices in the market, he added. While taking part in debate in the house, legislators Amjad Khan, Qasim Noon, Zulfiqar Ali and others gave suggestions for growth in the agriculture sector.
 
China gifts Pakistan 12 drones to fight grasshoppers


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INP
July 23, 2020


China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) here on Thursday given 12 rural splashing rambles to Pakistan's Service of National Nourishment Security, making a difference to battle grasshoppers and better guarantee nourishment security.

The Chinese specialists would moreover send specialized staff to carry out operation and prepare staff of concerned common divisions in Pakistan.

Gwadar Master learned that the clump of rambles is DJI Agras T16, one of the most progressed plant security rambles within the world. Ahmed Farooq, charge d'affaires of the Pakistani International safe haven, said that locust swarms were not uncommon in Pakistan, but this year's invasion was more severe than some time recently, causing an phenomenal risk to nourishment security and livelihoods over the country.

"These rural splashing rambles can offer assistance us with grasshopper control," Ahmed Farooq noted.

According to the Center for Universal Participation Administrations of MARA, the drones conveyed nowadays are another clump of grasshopper control materials provided by China.China will proceed to maintain the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, give help inside its capacity to Pakistan in days to come.

The Chinese help is portion of reinforcing the national activity arrange to combat the grasshopper assault that has caused genuine harm to angro-pastoral resources in Pakistan. Desert beetle is an universal trans-boundary concern with major economic, social and natural implications.
 
Govt sets Rs 1.5bn subsidy for local tractors

26 Jul 2020

ISLAMABAD: The government will give a subsidy of Rs1.5 billion on locally manufactured tractors for one year as part of the fiscal package announced for the agriculture sector in the wake of Covid-19.

Details of the package for 2020-21 released by the Cabinet Division, the sales tax subsidy on locally manufactured tractors will be five per cent.

At present, 5pc sales tax is applied on each tractor.

Massey Ferguson and Al-Ghazi are the two main manufacturing units having market share of 60pc and 40pc, respectively.

Total annual sales of these two units during 2019 were 41,000 units and average sales tax around 60,000 per tractor.

The Ministry of National Food Security and Research said on Saturday that out of the package of Rs1,200bn announced by the government after Covid-19, an amount of Rs50 billion has been earmarked for the agriculture sector.

The economic coordination committee in its recent meeting had approved the proposals submitted by the food ministry.

According to the implementation mechanism, the Federal Board of Revenue will notify GST subsidy, while the local tractor manufacturers will report to FBR and food security ministry their sales report on the fifth of every following month.

The ministry would ensure through forensic audit on quarterly basis to confirm proper utilisation of the subsidy for the benefit of farmers. Its area, jurisdiction and duration includes the entire country during 2020-21.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2020
 
بٹ۔،اسسٹنٹ ڈاٸریکٹر زراعت توسیع تحصیل نورپورتھل ڈاکٹر محمدسبطین زراعت آفیسرزشمشادخان محمدیاسر اقبال،نمائندہ جنگ /جیو ایم نوردین ،نمائندہ ڈیلی دی نیشن راجہ نورالہی عاطف اور کسان تنظیموں کے راہنماء بھی اس موقع پرموجود تھے ۔ پراجیکٹ ڈائریکٹرڈاکٹر محمد منصور نے اس موقع پر اظہار خیال کرتے ہوءے کہاکہ وطن عزیز پاکستان میں دالوں کی پیداوار میں اضافہ کے لٸے علاقہ تھل کے کسانوں کو سولر سسٹم ،زرعی آلات، چنے ،لوبیا ،مسور وغیرہ کے اعلٰی کوالٹی کے بیجوں میں 50 فی صد سبسڈی دی جاٸے گی ۔ واضح رہے کہ تحصیل نورپورتھل میں تین سولر سسٹم ڈاکٹر ملک عبداواحد جسرا،ملک صابرحسین جسراپیلووینس جبکہ ملک صفدرحیات اعوان ڈھمک پہنچ چکے ہیں ۔پورٹیبل سولر سسٹم کی کل قیمت 11 لاکھ ہے کسان کو ساڑھے پانچ لاکھ دینے ہونگے اور صرف بورکروانا ہوگا باقی کی سبسڈی حکومت کی طرف سے دی جاءے گی۔

 
Pakistan Agricultural Investigation Council Islamabad inaugurated the first portable solar power irrigation system on the agricultural farm of Dr. Malik Abdul Wahid Jasra in the town of Pelovins, Tehsil Noorpurthal.
 
There are several new farming techniques. Not sure if layer farming was introduced in Pakistan.
 
Pakistan to boost soybean yield by using China’s intercropping technology: Prof Yang Wenyu

China’s maize-soybean strip intercropping technology is applicable all over Pakistan and it can boost maize yield as well as create an additional soybean harvest to reduce Pakistan’s soybean imports and improve the country’s food security, Yang Wenyu, the professor of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu said.

Prof Yang Wenyu developed this technology and provided generous support to two Pakistani students of his university who are using and popularizing this technology in their hometown, China Economic Net reported on Sunday.
“There’s a lack of soybean production in Pakistan. Pakistan is China’s iron brother.
We are willing to offer support to help Pakistan bridge the gap between domestic production and imports,” Yang Wenyu said.

It’s he who initially formulated the idea of introducing this technology to Pakistan. His team has been supporting the two students Muhammad Ali Raza and Sajad Hussain to make demonstrations in Pakistan both technically and financially the whole time since 2018.

The application of maize-soybean strip intercropping technology in Pakistan has theoretical and practical basis. First, Pakistan has a large population while the area of arable land is limited. It has the demand to develop intercropping to grow two crops together.

Second, Pakistan enjoys ample sunlight, which is a favorable natural condition for soybean’s growth. Moreover, in the intercropping fields, maize can shade soybean to reduce high average temperature’s impact, and nitrogen fixation by soybean can
promote maize’s growth in return.

The crops in this model are like close partners that cooperate with each other to
create bumper harvests.
Forecasted by Yang Wenyu, by using maize-soybean strip intercropping technology, the yield of maize can reach 10,500 kg per hectare with an additional 1,350 to 1,650 kg/ha soybean production in Pakistan’s irrigated areas.
In rainfed areas, the production of maize and soybean can rise to 6,000 kg/ha and 4,500 to 1,500 kg/ha respectively. At present, maize is grown on an area of about 1.3 million hectares in Pakistan.

In this way, the nation’s maize yield can be guaranteed and greatly increased. More importantly, Pakistani farmers can harvest considerable soybean meanwhile. That will definitely generate sizeable economic benefit for Pakistani people.
At first there were some doubts about the technology’s performance because many local farmers had not seen this kind of farming model before. “As long as they follow our technical instructions to plant the two crops, this technology is sure to work out,” Yang said with confidence.

“Actually many countries are researching into intercropping. But across the globe our maize-soybean strip intercropping may be the only mature intercropping system that is well-equipped with all-around technologies of field configuration, fertilization, pest control, etc. and promoted on such a massive scale.”
Furthermore, this technology has realized mechanization from sowing seeds, crop management to harvest.

It should be noted that after 18 years’ research and development, in February, 2020, Yang Wenyu’s maize-soybean strip intercropping technology was included in China’s





 
Pakistan is seeking support of China for corporate farming through the inclusion of agriculture in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) programme in the hope of triggering a green revolution.

In a recent meeting of the cabinet, its members expressed satisfaction over the inclusion of agriculture as well as science and technology in the CPEC programme. It was emphasised that Pakistan’s economic development was intertwined with that of China and a green revolution would come in cooperation with Beijing.

It was pointed out that in the agriculture sector, support was being sought for corporate farming as well as joint farming. It was suggested that joint research should be undertaken in the field of agriculture as Pakistan had the research infrastructure, which had the potential to become a centre of excellence.

The minister for national food security and research told the cabinet that his team was working on raising wheat productivity for which timely announcement of support price and availability of quality seed was crucial.

He requested the prime minister to direct provinces to keep an appropriate quantity of good quality wheat, which would be used as seed.

The prime minister directed the food security minister to prepare short, medium and long-term plans for achieving food security and enhancing crop productivity.

The National Food Security and Research Division informed cabinet members that in September, around 0.5 million tons of imported wheat would be available in the country. It was stated that steps taken by the government had resulted in a reduction in wheat prices. It was pointed out that the transportation cycle should be astutely managed as with the sudden influx of imported wheat, the cost of carriage could increase.

It was also suggested that after the 18th Constitution Amendment, the prime responsibility of the Ministry of National Food Security was to ensure food security for which buffer stocks of essential commodities over and above the annual national demand should be maintained for supply-side intervention to keep prices in check.

The prime minister emphasised that shortage of wheat could not be allowed in the country in any circumstances as it was a staple diet of the common man. The minister for communication requested the cabinet that financing for the Zhob road project, approved in the last Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) meeting, may also be taken up with the Chinese side as it was the main entry point to the western route.

The minister for industries and production apprised cabinet members that prices of sugar had already gone down by Rs4-5 per kg on expectations of arrival of imported sugar ordered by the private sector.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 8th, 2020.
 
APP
September 14, 2020


A REUTERS FILE IMAGE



ISLAMABAD: The government of Balochistan has initiated work on multiple agro projects with the aim to enhance the production in the province through modern technologies.

Talking to APP, an official of the Balochistan government said that the government began training programmes for farmers and landowners of the province on modern farming methods.

“The projects including, use of modern technology for water conservation, promotion of tunnel farming, strengthening of the Agricultural Department’s research laboratories, promotion of research and development and improvement through registration and certification of new varieties of wheat, rice, barley and vegetables were underway,” he said.

“Around 27 previous agriculture projects were under way at the cost of Rs 37,212 million, while 16 new ones with an estimated cost of Rs 2,905 million were undertaken during the current year.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 14th, 2020.
 

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