Pakistan Agriculture Developments
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After nine years, Iran has lifted restrictions on the import of Pakistani kinnow.
Taking to his official Twitter handle, Minister of Foreign Affairs Shah Mehmood Qureshi tweeted, “I am pleased to share some good news for our citrus farmers. Following discussions, (I am) happy to announce that Iran has lifted restrictions on the import of Pakistan’s kinnow.”
“After nine years, Iran’s market will be open for kinnow season of 2021-2022,” said All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters and Importers Association (PFVA) Patron-in-Chief Waheed Ahmed. Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) former chief of horticulture exports Ahmad Jawad said that it was great news for the kinnow export industry that finally Iran had lifted its longstanding ban, which had been placed in 2012.
Taking to his official Twitter handle, Minister of Foreign Affairs Shah Mehmood Qureshi tweeted, “I am pleased to share some good news for our citrus farmers. Following discussions, (I am) happy to announce that Iran has lifted restrictions on the import of Pakistan’s kinnow.”
“After nine years, Iran’s market will be open for kinnow season of 2021-2022,” said All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters and Importers Association (PFVA) Patron-in-Chief Waheed Ahmed. Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) former chief of horticulture exports Ahmad Jawad said that it was great news for the kinnow export industry that finally Iran had lifted its longstanding ban, which had been placed in 2012.
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Pakistan set to become top sesame seed exporter to China
February 11, 2022
SOURCEwww.app.com.pk
BEIJING, Feb.10 (APP)
akistan has exported sesame seeds amounting to $120.44 million to China in the year 2021 and hopefully, it is going to become a top exporter in the coming years, said Badar Uz Zaman, Pakistan’s Commercial Counselor in Beijing.“Normally there is a trend of cultivating traditional crops like wheat and rice in Pakistan but now the Pakistani farmers are also getting knowledge of high-end and high-priced products like sesame seeds. Similarly, they are also learning modern cultivation methods to increase production. So, hopefully Pakistan is going to be the top exporter of sesame seeds to China in coming years,” he told APP.
The counselor said after the signing of the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA) Phase-II, the Pakistani exporters had got access to the Chinese market for export of sesame seeds.
“Our exporters are very active. A number of new exporters have been added to the General Administration of Customs of China list that increased the scale, but still we have a big potential and the Pakistani farmers also understand the varieties and the types of the sesame seed that is popular in China,” Badar mentioned.
Pakistan, he said, was collaborating in the agriculture sector with China. “There have been specialists from China who are also guiding the Pakistani farmers on how to grow this crop.
Similarly, many agriculture machinery suppliers are also providing high-end technical machines like sorting machines to the Pakistani processors of the sesame seeds and the packaging has also improved.”
Last year, he said, Pakistan’s sesame seeds exports to China achieved a historical figure of $120.44 million.
China imported 92516.55 tons in the year 2021 and Pakistan was one of the main destinations for sesame seeds imports. In the year 2020, Pakistan exported only 38,000 kilograms of sesame seeds to China, according to the official data from the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC).
According to an exporter, the launch of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in the year 2020 brought an opportunity for both Pakistan and China to include sesame seeds to the list of 313 items and that helped reduce duty from previously 10% to zero.
In the past, Pakistan mainly exported sesame seeds to countries like Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, Europe, and the United States. After the waiving of duty, China was the biggest importer for Pakistan Sesame Seeds in the last two years.
The crop in the year of 2020-2021 was recorded the highest exports in numbers from Pakistan out of which 54% of the total exports were to China.
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SBP increases indicative credit limits for agri financing
- Says will directly benefit agriculture borrowers
16 Feb, 2022
In a bid to boost the sector, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has enhanced the indicative credit limits for agriculture financing by banks to farmers to align the amount of advances with agriculture input requirements.
The SBP said on Wednesday that the enhanced indicative credit limits for production and development loans of farm and non-farm sector will directly benefit agriculture borrowers, who will now be able to obtain more credit from banks and, in turn, enhance agriculture productivity through adequate use of inputs.
“This will also enable banks to align the loan amounts with the actual requirements of farmers and resultantly, enhance the flow of agriculture credit,” said SBP in a statement.
The credit requirements are the actual demand of the farmers or agriculture business entrepreneurs for agricultural financing. The SBP calculated the credit requirements based on various factors like; land holding, size of farms, economic conditions and expected prices of the agriculture produce.
"Generally, farmers having medium to large farm size are in a good financial position and may have relatively low credit demand while the subsistence and marginalised farmers mainly rely on credit/loans to meet their financial requirements which varies from 90 to 100%," the central bank said in its report.
SBP said that the per-acre indicative credit limits for crops, orchards, forest trees and agriculture-related infrastructure are based on technical data received from leading agricultural research institutes and other stakeholders.
As per revised credit limits provided by SBP, the per-acre indicative agriculture credit limits for major crops has increased Rs45,000 to Rs70,000 for rice, for wheat, the credit limit has been revised to Rs60,000 per acre from Rs40,000 per acre.
For cotton, the credit limit has been raised to Rs75,000 per acre from Rs52,000 per acre, Sugarcane credit limit revised from Rs73,000 per acre to Rs105,000 per acre, whereas, for maize (Hybrid) the credit limit has increased from Rs55,000 per acre to Rs78,000 per acre, while for maize the credit limit has been raised to Rs65,000 per acre from Rs45,000 per acre.
It is important to note that the indicative credit limits serve as a guideline for banks to assess the credit requirements of agriculture borrowers while sanctioning credit limits. “Banks may, however, make adjustments on the basis of prevailing market conditions, local prices of inputs, and repayment capacity of borrowers,” the SBP said.
The central bank added that revised indicative credit limits will also facilitate provincial planning departments in estimating the total financial and credit requirements of respective provinces/regions for farm and non-farm sectors.
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Logistical nightmares in agriculture
18 Feb, 2022It makes not just economic sense but also basic common sense for farmers to get agriculture inputs right at their doorstep, or at least close by, in order to reduce cost of production and increase output. A traditionally agri-based economy that is reduced to importing part of its food, and exposing itself to international price shocks in the process, ought to be that much more careful about such things.
Yet a survey by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), an arm of the federal government, has revealed that rural people of all provinces have to travel many kilometers just to get access to necessary inputs and services. It’s 58km for farmers in Balochistan and 29km in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), while the number is smaller in Punjab and Sindh.
The Mouza Census 2020 also says that most outlets for seeds, fertilisers and pesticides are at an average distance of 22-23km from rural mouzas across the country. This is very troubling, and the fact that this distance has come down only marginally, from 26km in 2008, does not give much hope at all.
There’s also the fact that the distance to livestock markets is 58km in KP, 57km in Balochistan, 21km in Punjab and 19km in Sindh. This means that the entire sector is put at an inherent disadvantage even before the beginning of each year’s agri cycle since farmers, hardly the most affluent members of society, have to waste precious time and money to get access to the most basic resources.
Of course a number of previous administrations are to blame for ignoring this phenomenon even as the fortunes of the agri sector dwindled before their eyes. But considering how compromised the economy is at this point in time, and how imperative it is to regain agri self-sufficiency, it is incumbent on the present government to begin solving unnecessary logistical problems for the farming community.
Pakistan fears for its bumper crop of potato, in such situation USA/Wester countries definitely be happy of it.
Save it as a substitute for feared wheat shortages in near future, consume potatoes to overcome. We have to do some R&D for potato powder to bake bread and roti.
10
Irfan Khan
LAHORE: A massive potato harvest expected in Punjab has alarmed federal and provincial policy circles who are wondering what to do with the likely overproduction in the next few weeks.
The Federal Committee on Agriculture had fixed a target of 5.96 million tonnes of the crop for Punjab on 546,000 acres – an average of 273 maunds per acre. However, according to the Punjab Crop Reporting Service, the acreage has grown up to 740,000 acres — an increase of around 35.90 per cent — this year.
“Now, the fear is that if this 36pc addition in acreage translates into a corresponding increase in production, Punjab alone will be looking at a staggering 8.5 million tonnes of potato – leading to a huge glut and an equal, if not more, price crash,” warns Muhammad Ramzan, a farmer in the potato belt.
A very realistic but threatening scenario is emerging, giving farmers and planners sleepless nights. The crop has escaped a frost threat, which usually causes a 5-6pc dent to the final figure; weather cooperated with the crop throughout its lifecycle. So, the size of the potato crop, by all means, is going to be a record this season, testing the nerves and planning capacity of all those involved in the process. The farmers are the most fearful, Ramzan says.
According to the Potato Research Board’s estimates, the acreage is much higher — at least another 100,000 to 150,000 acres — and the yield is going to be closer to a million tonnes. All official bodies have vested interests in underreporting in order to save the government as any excess production will have to be disposed of or bought by the authorities, which will increase pressure from potato growers. The actual situation is going to be more precarious and the farmers would pay the cost, he warns.
“The Commerce Ministry has recently received an SOS call from Punjab, asking it to prepare a contingency export plan,” concedes a ministry official.
The problem is that Pakistan has never exported more than 550,000 tonnes, which was during 2018-19. In the next two years, they fell to 339,000 tonnes and 314,000 tonnes, respectively. This year, if the national consumption of around 5.5 million tonnes is deducted, Punjab will have to deal with around three million tonnes of overproduction — equal to the total average provincial production between 2011 and 2015. This is an emergency scenario, demanding contingency planning.
Waheed Ahmed of All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association (PFVA) says that “although the association can help deal with the situation to a certain extent, it won’t be able to do anything if enlisted after the event.
Export development is a painfully slow and lengthy process, where one scans and finds global markets, locates buyers, develops brands, sets shipping and banking channels and establishes credibility. All these steps require a long-term strategy; exporters cannot be engaged during the glut and told to clear it. Since potato is an export commodity, the PFVA has been requesting the federal government to prepare a strategy, a shipping policy and laws so that freight issues are resolved.
Sit with the governments (Indonesia and the Philippines in particular) that have imposed quarantine conditions and solve any issues hampering exports, study individual markets and open new channels. Pakistan has offered a $200 million credit line to Sri Lanka, but the potato part is negligible.
Each year, Pakistan imports a massive quantity of seed from the Netherlands, but exports to Europe are next to nil. China is a huge producer and importer. Can’t Pakistan grow Chinese seed here and then export to it? All of this can be possible through policy and planning”, he pleads.
If the association has no idea about the acreage in a particular year, the expected production, national consumption and how much is going to be national surplus, how can exports be planned, Waheed questions.
“Governance issues, port problems, dollar fluctuation, differing dollar rates, all of these are additional issues that exporters deal with on a daily basis,” complains Muhammad Jamal, an exporter from Lahore.
Pakistan has the most expensive ports; almost a deterrent to trade. Interbank dollar rate becomes irrelevant and an additional cost when freight charges are levied at the open market rate. Pakistan buys billions of dollars of edible oil from the Far East, but has not been able to send potato to those countries. Rather they have been stopped due to quarantine issues.
All these issues would keep afflicting this very exportable vegetable and maintain a glut within the national borders, he explains, precisely because of which Pakistan’s share in a $4.9 billion global potato market is just $115 million.
Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2022
https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sha...awn.com/news/1676068&display=popup&ref=plugin
Save it as a substitute for feared wheat shortages in near future, consume potatoes to overcome. We have to do some R&D for potato powder to bake bread and roti.
Potato overproduction fears giving Punjab sleepless nights
Ahmad Fraz KhanPublished February 20, 2022 - Updated about 7 hours ago 10
Irfan Khan
LAHORE: A massive potato harvest expected in Punjab has alarmed federal and provincial policy circles who are wondering what to do with the likely overproduction in the next few weeks.
The Federal Committee on Agriculture had fixed a target of 5.96 million tonnes of the crop for Punjab on 546,000 acres – an average of 273 maunds per acre. However, according to the Punjab Crop Reporting Service, the acreage has grown up to 740,000 acres — an increase of around 35.90 per cent — this year.
“Now, the fear is that if this 36pc addition in acreage translates into a corresponding increase in production, Punjab alone will be looking at a staggering 8.5 million tonnes of potato – leading to a huge glut and an equal, if not more, price crash,” warns Muhammad Ramzan, a farmer in the potato belt.
A very realistic but threatening scenario is emerging, giving farmers and planners sleepless nights. The crop has escaped a frost threat, which usually causes a 5-6pc dent to the final figure; weather cooperated with the crop throughout its lifecycle. So, the size of the potato crop, by all means, is going to be a record this season, testing the nerves and planning capacity of all those involved in the process. The farmers are the most fearful, Ramzan says.
Maqsood Jatt, chairman of the Potato Research Board, paints an even bleaker picture, saying the official and their own figures have got it all wrong. He claims it has been an old argument of farmers that the Crop Reporting wing underreports both the acreage and yield because of the reporting mechanism.
According to the Potato Research Board’s estimates, the acreage is much higher — at least another 100,000 to 150,000 acres — and the yield is going to be closer to a million tonnes. All official bodies have vested interests in underreporting in order to save the government as any excess production will have to be disposed of or bought by the authorities, which will increase pressure from potato growers. The actual situation is going to be more precarious and the farmers would pay the cost, he warns.
“The Commerce Ministry has recently received an SOS call from Punjab, asking it to prepare a contingency export plan,” concedes a ministry official.
The problem is that Pakistan has never exported more than 550,000 tonnes, which was during 2018-19. In the next two years, they fell to 339,000 tonnes and 314,000 tonnes, respectively. This year, if the national consumption of around 5.5 million tonnes is deducted, Punjab will have to deal with around three million tonnes of overproduction — equal to the total average provincial production between 2011 and 2015. This is an emergency scenario, demanding contingency planning.
Waheed Ahmed of All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association (PFVA) says that “although the association can help deal with the situation to a certain extent, it won’t be able to do anything if enlisted after the event.
Export development is a painfully slow and lengthy process, where one scans and finds global markets, locates buyers, develops brands, sets shipping and banking channels and establishes credibility. All these steps require a long-term strategy; exporters cannot be engaged during the glut and told to clear it. Since potato is an export commodity, the PFVA has been requesting the federal government to prepare a strategy, a shipping policy and laws so that freight issues are resolved.
Sit with the governments (Indonesia and the Philippines in particular) that have imposed quarantine conditions and solve any issues hampering exports, study individual markets and open new channels. Pakistan has offered a $200 million credit line to Sri Lanka, but the potato part is negligible.
Each year, Pakistan imports a massive quantity of seed from the Netherlands, but exports to Europe are next to nil. China is a huge producer and importer. Can’t Pakistan grow Chinese seed here and then export to it? All of this can be possible through policy and planning”, he pleads.
If the association has no idea about the acreage in a particular year, the expected production, national consumption and how much is going to be national surplus, how can exports be planned, Waheed questions.
“Governance issues, port problems, dollar fluctuation, differing dollar rates, all of these are additional issues that exporters deal with on a daily basis,” complains Muhammad Jamal, an exporter from Lahore.
Pakistan has the most expensive ports; almost a deterrent to trade. Interbank dollar rate becomes irrelevant and an additional cost when freight charges are levied at the open market rate. Pakistan buys billions of dollars of edible oil from the Far East, but has not been able to send potato to those countries. Rather they have been stopped due to quarantine issues.
All these issues would keep afflicting this very exportable vegetable and maintain a glut within the national borders, he explains, precisely because of which Pakistan’s share in a $4.9 billion global potato market is just $115 million.
Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2022
https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sha...awn.com/news/1676068&display=popup&ref=plugin
Potato overproduction fears giving Punjab sleepless nights
Officials say govt may have to deal with 3m tonnes of excess crop this year.
www.dawn.com
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The Kalash women and children were given around 4500 fruit plants and wild plants.
By Sameer Tahir
Thousands of plants of various types were given among the local inhabitants at Kalash Valley Bumburate in order to increase forest cover and offer new livelihood alternatives in Chilghoza Landscape in the Chitral range.
The Kalash women and children were given around 4500 fruit plants as well as wild plants.
The plants were distributed at a ceremony at Bumborat, with Divisional Forest Officer Chitral Farhad Ali as the principal guest.
On the occasion, Ejaz Ahmed, Provincial Coordinator of the GEF Chilghoza Project, Ziaur Rehman, Value Chain Development Specialist, and Shahzad Ahmad, Deputy Forest Manager of Chitral, were also present.
Ejaz Ahmed, speaking at the event, said that the distribution of fruit plants was part of a GEF-funded project called "Reversing Deforestation and Degradation in High Conservation Value Chilgoza Pine Forests in Pakistan," which was carried out by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Climate Change and the Forest Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The initiatives aim to improve local livelihoods by increasing productivity and improving the services and functions of Pakistan's Chilghoza forests.
Through the active participation of local communities, the project brings roughly 30,000 hectares of Chilghoza woods under sustainable forest management. 3600 hectares will be used for Assisted Natural Regeneration, while 800 hectares will be used for agro-forestry and farm forestry.
......
Free wild, fruit plants distributed to the locals in Kalash Valley, Chitral..
The Kalash women and children were given around 4500 fruit plants and wild plants.
By Sameer Tahir
Thousands of plants of various types were given among the local inhabitants at Kalash Valley Bumburate in order to increase forest cover and offer new livelihood alternatives in Chilghoza Landscape in the Chitral range.
The Kalash women and children were given around 4500 fruit plants as well as wild plants.
The plants were distributed at a ceremony at Bumborat, with Divisional Forest Officer Chitral Farhad Ali as the principal guest.
On the occasion, Ejaz Ahmed, Provincial Coordinator of the GEF Chilghoza Project, Ziaur Rehman, Value Chain Development Specialist, and Shahzad Ahmad, Deputy Forest Manager of Chitral, were also present.
Ejaz Ahmed, speaking at the event, said that the distribution of fruit plants was part of a GEF-funded project called "Reversing Deforestation and Degradation in High Conservation Value Chilgoza Pine Forests in Pakistan," which was carried out by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Climate Change and the Forest Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The initiatives aim to improve local livelihoods by increasing productivity and improving the services and functions of Pakistan's Chilghoza forests.
Through the active participation of local communities, the project brings roughly 30,000 hectares of Chilghoza woods under sustainable forest management. 3600 hectares will be used for Assisted Natural Regeneration, while 800 hectares will be used for agro-forestry and farm forestry.
......
ghazi52
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Khalid Hasnain
March 12, 2022
SOLAR panels are seen at the Interloop Dairy Farm in Sheikhupura; and (right) a net meter installed at the facility.—Dawn
LAHORE: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) decision of allowing commercial banks to extend cheaper loans for conversion of tube-well operations to solar power for availing the net metering facility, the power distribution companies have started receiving an overwhelming response from such consumers across the country.
Under the provisions, the tube-well connections seeking net metering on a load up to 25kW will not require permission from the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) for the grant of generation licence, Dawn has learnt.
The facility will not only convert most such connections on solar but also enable consumers to produce and use the electricity on their own besides selling the additional/surplus to the respective Discos. It will also control the technical and commercial losses (power losses either due to theft or technical reasons).
“The tube-well connections can be converted to net-metering but the response was not good due to considerable investment (around Rs2 to 3 million on each connection), lack of loaning facility and awareness. Now the SBP has announced a loaning facility on a six per cent markup for launching such small schemes,” explained Lahore Electric Supply Company’s Market Implementation and Regulatory Affairs Director-General Altaf Qadir while talking to Dawn.
Moreover, the increasing power tariff due to fuel price adjustment and other issues have forced consumers having tube-well connections to contact us in this regard,” he added.
The net metering project had been launched in 2016 countrywide. It allows any domestic, commercial, industrial and other consumers having at least a three-phase meter connection to be part of the power generation system by installing it on his/her premises (house, shop, factory, open spaces, etc). Under the arrangements, such a consumer may sell the additional energy to the respective power distribution company and make stocktaking (calculations) with it at the end of the month.
Since the system allows the consumers to generate electricity from one kilowatt to one megawatt, Nepra issues licences to the applicants residing in the service area jurisdiction of all distribution companies. Before issuance of the licence, the respective companies are supposed to receive, scrutinise and process such applications.
According to Mr Qadir, there are hundreds of thousands of tube-well connections in the service areas of all nine Discos including Lesco, Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco), Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco), Gujaranwala Electric Power Company (Gepco), Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO), Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco), Tribal Area Electric Supply Company (Tesco), Quetta Electric Supply Company (Qesco), Sukkar Electric Power Company (Sepco) and Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco).
It may be mentioned that most of such connections exist in a vast rural area of Mepco. The number here ranges between 60,000 to 70,000. Similarly, Lesco has 25,000 to 30,000 connections and most exist in the areas of its Kasur and Okara circles. Qesco, Gepco, Pesco, Hesco, Sepco and other companies also have a large number of such connections.
Answering a question Mr Qadir said Lesco has so far processed as many 6,000 net metering related applications out of which most (equaling to 100MW or so) have been issued generation licence by Nepra.
Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2022
.......
Cheaper bank loans fuel conversion of tube-wells to solar power
Khalid HasnainMarch 12, 2022
SOLAR panels are seen at the Interloop Dairy Farm in Sheikhupura; and (right) a net meter installed at the facility.—Dawn
LAHORE: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) decision of allowing commercial banks to extend cheaper loans for conversion of tube-well operations to solar power for availing the net metering facility, the power distribution companies have started receiving an overwhelming response from such consumers across the country.
Under the provisions, the tube-well connections seeking net metering on a load up to 25kW will not require permission from the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) for the grant of generation licence, Dawn has learnt.
The facility will not only convert most such connections on solar but also enable consumers to produce and use the electricity on their own besides selling the additional/surplus to the respective Discos. It will also control the technical and commercial losses (power losses either due to theft or technical reasons).
“The tube-well connections can be converted to net-metering but the response was not good due to considerable investment (around Rs2 to 3 million on each connection), lack of loaning facility and awareness. Now the SBP has announced a loaning facility on a six per cent markup for launching such small schemes,” explained Lahore Electric Supply Company’s Market Implementation and Regulatory Affairs Director-General Altaf Qadir while talking to Dawn.
Moreover, the increasing power tariff due to fuel price adjustment and other issues have forced consumers having tube-well connections to contact us in this regard,” he added.
The net metering project had been launched in 2016 countrywide. It allows any domestic, commercial, industrial and other consumers having at least a three-phase meter connection to be part of the power generation system by installing it on his/her premises (house, shop, factory, open spaces, etc). Under the arrangements, such a consumer may sell the additional energy to the respective power distribution company and make stocktaking (calculations) with it at the end of the month.
Since the system allows the consumers to generate electricity from one kilowatt to one megawatt, Nepra issues licences to the applicants residing in the service area jurisdiction of all distribution companies. Before issuance of the licence, the respective companies are supposed to receive, scrutinise and process such applications.
According to Mr Qadir, there are hundreds of thousands of tube-well connections in the service areas of all nine Discos including Lesco, Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco), Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco), Gujaranwala Electric Power Company (Gepco), Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO), Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco), Tribal Area Electric Supply Company (Tesco), Quetta Electric Supply Company (Qesco), Sukkar Electric Power Company (Sepco) and Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco).
It may be mentioned that most of such connections exist in a vast rural area of Mepco. The number here ranges between 60,000 to 70,000. Similarly, Lesco has 25,000 to 30,000 connections and most exist in the areas of its Kasur and Okara circles. Qesco, Gepco, Pesco, Hesco, Sepco and other companies also have a large number of such connections.
Answering a question Mr Qadir said Lesco has so far processed as many 6,000 net metering related applications out of which most (equaling to 100MW or so) have been issued generation licence by Nepra.
Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2022
.......
ghazi52
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The Frontier Post
ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet here on Thursday approved Rs 24.26 billion subsidy on fertilizer for Kharif Crops 2022 and also enhanced Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Wheat Crop 2021-22 from Rs.1,950/40 Kg to Rs 2,200/ 40 Kg.
The meeting was chaired by Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Shaukat Tarin while among others it was attended by Federal Minister for National Food Security & Research (NFS&R), Syed Fakhar Imam, Minister of Energy Hammad Azhar, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment, Abdul Razak Dawood, Governor SBP, Federal Secretaries and other senior officers.
The subsidy disbursements would be made billion through provinces using their existing mechanism on sharing basis (50:50) for Phosphatic Fertilizers along with direction to strengthen the tracking system. Federal government share will be Rs 12.13 billion, the statement added.
The committee also approved extension in date for subsidy disbursement to farmers to June 30, 2022.
The summary for extension in date for subsidy disbursement to the farmers on Kharif crop during 2021 on fertilizer (DAP), cotton Seed and Whitefly related pesticides, under Prime Minister’s package for agriculture in 2020-21 was presented by the Ministry of NFS&R.
The federal government has already released Rs 3.890 billion to the Sindh province and Rs 0.541 billion to Baluchistan for the subject scheme, the statement added. The ECC approved wheat procurement target of Sindh to the level of 1.40 MMT, along with Cash Credit Limit (CCL) of Rs 77.00 billion and target of Baluchistan to the level of Rs 0.10 MMT along with CCL for the amount of Rs 6.20 billion.
Wheat procurement target for Punjab to the tune of 4.00 MMT with Cash Credit Limit of Rs. 220.00 Billion. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was allowed to procure 0.20 MMT from the Punjab Food Department with their own financial arrangements.
Cash Credit Limit (CCL) of PASSCO was also revised from Rs. 65.00 Billion to the level of Rs. 72.50 Billion @ Rs. 2,200/40 Kg for procurement of 1.20 MMT of Wheat. ECC also approved a Supplementary Grant of Rs. 50 Billion to Power Division and Rs. 4.5 billion in favour of the Ministry of Commerce for Export Development Fund (EDF).
.'.'.'.
ECC approves Rs 24.26b fertilizer subsidy, enhance wheat support price to Rs 2200 per mund
The Frontier Post
ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet here on Thursday approved Rs 24.26 billion subsidy on fertilizer for Kharif Crops 2022 and also enhanced Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Wheat Crop 2021-22 from Rs.1,950/40 Kg to Rs 2,200/ 40 Kg.
The meeting was chaired by Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Shaukat Tarin while among others it was attended by Federal Minister for National Food Security & Research (NFS&R), Syed Fakhar Imam, Minister of Energy Hammad Azhar, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment, Abdul Razak Dawood, Governor SBP, Federal Secretaries and other senior officers.
The subsidy disbursements would be made billion through provinces using their existing mechanism on sharing basis (50:50) for Phosphatic Fertilizers along with direction to strengthen the tracking system. Federal government share will be Rs 12.13 billion, the statement added.
The committee also approved extension in date for subsidy disbursement to farmers to June 30, 2022.
The summary for extension in date for subsidy disbursement to the farmers on Kharif crop during 2021 on fertilizer (DAP), cotton Seed and Whitefly related pesticides, under Prime Minister’s package for agriculture in 2020-21 was presented by the Ministry of NFS&R.
The federal government has already released Rs 3.890 billion to the Sindh province and Rs 0.541 billion to Baluchistan for the subject scheme, the statement added. The ECC approved wheat procurement target of Sindh to the level of 1.40 MMT, along with Cash Credit Limit (CCL) of Rs 77.00 billion and target of Baluchistan to the level of Rs 0.10 MMT along with CCL for the amount of Rs 6.20 billion.
Wheat procurement target for Punjab to the tune of 4.00 MMT with Cash Credit Limit of Rs. 220.00 Billion. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was allowed to procure 0.20 MMT from the Punjab Food Department with their own financial arrangements.
Cash Credit Limit (CCL) of PASSCO was also revised from Rs. 65.00 Billion to the level of Rs. 72.50 Billion @ Rs. 2,200/40 Kg for procurement of 1.20 MMT of Wheat. ECC also approved a Supplementary Grant of Rs. 50 Billion to Power Division and Rs. 4.5 billion in favour of the Ministry of Commerce for Export Development Fund (EDF).
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March 20, 2022..
PHOTO: AGENCIES
Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (GAAS) and the Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB) discussed a roadmap for boosting agricultural cooperation in the future, with advanced Chinese technologies to be transferred to Pakistan.
Gansu and Pakistan share similarities in climate, crop types and environment. According to Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences Vice President Fan Tinglu, high-yielding crop varieties of wheat, potato, corn, oilseed, cotton and various technologies of efficient use of water and fertiliser on dry land would hopefully be introduced to Pakistan.
The official added that solar greenhouse, fruit and vegetable storage and cold chain logistics would be focused as well.
“Many technologies from Gansu have been introduced to Pakistan and achieved promising results,” Fan Tinglu. In this regard, he gave the expmple of the technology of farmland water utilisation and regulation with plastic-film mulching on dry land.
“We sincerely hope our cooperation with IUB contribute to both food security and agricultural development in the future,” the official said.
Vice Chancellor of the Islamia University of Bahawalpur Dr Athar Mahboob said that the area where IUB was located was facing soil, water and climatic challenges and Chinese technology could play a positive part in the region.
“IUB is looking forward to working with the Chinese counterparts. We want to learn from the Chinese experience and advanced technologies to improve our local conditions and food security,” Mahboob said. Last year, IUB already established cooperative ties with Sichuan Agricultural University (SAU) specialized in intercropping technology. Now, the Sino-Pak agricultural cooperation is steadily expanding through more linkages being forged.
Based on a series of investigation and research by the Foreign Affairs Office of the People’s Government of Gansu, there is enormous potential to develop cooperation in agriculture to fuel the progress of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) phase II which focuses on improving people’s livelihoods. Simultaneously supported by the Pakistani Embassy in China, it is believed the agricultural cooperation between Gansu and Pakistan would blossom.
It has been learned that a memorandum of understanding between GAAS and IUB is on the way to kick off the cooperation in an efficient and practical way.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 20th, 2022.
********
Gansu to share agricultural expertise with Pakistan.
Both sides have similar climates, crop types, environment..March 20, 2022..
PHOTO: AGENCIES
Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (GAAS) and the Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB) discussed a roadmap for boosting agricultural cooperation in the future, with advanced Chinese technologies to be transferred to Pakistan.
Gansu and Pakistan share similarities in climate, crop types and environment. According to Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences Vice President Fan Tinglu, high-yielding crop varieties of wheat, potato, corn, oilseed, cotton and various technologies of efficient use of water and fertiliser on dry land would hopefully be introduced to Pakistan.
The official added that solar greenhouse, fruit and vegetable storage and cold chain logistics would be focused as well.
“Many technologies from Gansu have been introduced to Pakistan and achieved promising results,” Fan Tinglu. In this regard, he gave the expmple of the technology of farmland water utilisation and regulation with plastic-film mulching on dry land.
“We sincerely hope our cooperation with IUB contribute to both food security and agricultural development in the future,” the official said.
Vice Chancellor of the Islamia University of Bahawalpur Dr Athar Mahboob said that the area where IUB was located was facing soil, water and climatic challenges and Chinese technology could play a positive part in the region.
“IUB is looking forward to working with the Chinese counterparts. We want to learn from the Chinese experience and advanced technologies to improve our local conditions and food security,” Mahboob said. Last year, IUB already established cooperative ties with Sichuan Agricultural University (SAU) specialized in intercropping technology. Now, the Sino-Pak agricultural cooperation is steadily expanding through more linkages being forged.
Based on a series of investigation and research by the Foreign Affairs Office of the People’s Government of Gansu, there is enormous potential to develop cooperation in agriculture to fuel the progress of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) phase II which focuses on improving people’s livelihoods. Simultaneously supported by the Pakistani Embassy in China, it is believed the agricultural cooperation between Gansu and Pakistan would blossom.
It has been learned that a memorandum of understanding between GAAS and IUB is on the way to kick off the cooperation in an efficient and practical way.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 20th, 2022.
********
ghazi52
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Punjab advocates telemetry system to solve water disputes
Amjad MahmoodMarch 31, 2022
Punjab has suggested immediate installation of the telemetry system on Indus basin irrigation system as a permanent solution to end water disputes between provinces, while a private water resource management body pleads for a barrage close to the Sindh border to manage complaints of water theft by Punjab.
Punjab Irrigation Minister Mohsin Leghari suggested at a dialogue on inter-province water disputes held here on Wednesday that the permanent solution to put an end to the argument between Punjab and Sindh as well as Sindh and Balochistan on water share was the telemetry system.
The water gauging system, he said, must be installed as early as possible so that the inter-province bickering causing bad blood among the people is curbed and to deal with the water shortage problem.
The minister also called for adopting advanced irrigation methods to increase the water productivity and building new reservoirs, particularly Kalabagh Dam, as it requires the shortest time – six to seven years – for its construction. He argued that India had built 5,202 large dams since 1947, whereas Pakistan had constructed only two as per the Central Water Commission data.
Advocating the need for promoting cultivation of drought-tolerant but more productive value crops, Mr Leghari also supported the three-tier approach for distribution of water among the provinces to meet their irrigation needs.
Sulaimaan Ahmad of Sindh Tas Water Council suggested construction of a barrage at Kot Mithan, Rajanpur district, in Punjab on the Indus river to curb water theft complaints of Sindh province and Punjab’s grievances that Sindh does not allow water availability measurement at Guddu barrage.
He said water from the proposed site could reach Guddu barrage in Sindh within six hours, while it takes six days even during summers from Chashma Barrage in Mianwali district. Sindh complains that water is stolen downstream Chashma through tubewells, he said.
He proposed that even Kachhi canal should be fed from the proposed Kot Mithan barrage so that Balochistan’s complaints against Sindh for not supplying its due share of water from Guddu barrage were also settled.
Punjab University Vice-Chancellor Dr Niaz Ahmad Akhtar, Punjab Planning & Development member Dr M Abid Bodla and others also spoke.
Meanwhile, Mr Leghari chaired a meeting of the Punjab Water Resource Commission which discussed rules for appointment of water undertakers for better management and conservation of subsoil water resources.
The meeting also approved rules and regulations for implementation of the Water Act 2019. It was attended by Agriculture Minister Syed Hussain Jahanian Gardezi, Industries Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal, Chief Secretary Kamran Afzal, Additional Chief Secretary Ali Murtaza, Irrigation Secretary Saif Anjum, Water Resources Regulatory Authority DG Amer Khan, technical member Arif Anwar, Qadeer Baig and officials of relevant departments.
Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2022
ghazi52
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April 18, 2022
Federal government is taking measures for smooth supply of urea at affordable prices to help farmers in the planting of wheat crop.
As agricultural countries China and Pakistan are currently facing the same challenges – growing food demand and tight agricultural land jointly threaten food security.
In addition to the three major staple foods in the world, a crop has gradually attracted attention – sorghum.
As an indispensable dry food crop, sorghum is second only to wheat, corn, rice and barley in China in terms of planting area and output.
Agricultural experts call it “the camel of crops” based on its numerous excellent qualities such as resistance to pests and diseases, high temperature, cold, and salinity.
“Sorghum is a multi-purpose crop that can play an important role in food and fodder provision. At a time when the world is facing the dual challenges of the epidemic and food crisis, it is a win-win choice to incorporate this multi-purpose crop into the CPEC cooperation framework and add another layer of guarantee to the food security of China and Pakistan,” which was the consensus shared by experts on the Symposium on Sorghum Industry Development of China and Pakistan organised recently.
According to Dr Shahzor Gul, Assistant Professor, Institute of Food Sciences and Technology, Sindh Agriculture University, Pakistan, as the climatic conditions are excellent for sorghum production and emerging water shortage has necessitated the production of sorghum on a wide scale, this cash crop means the most affordable option.
“In Pakistan, about 5.4 tonnes of sorghum is produced per hectare, more than wheat and rice, which have 3 and 2.2 tonnes per hectare, respectively. Meanwhile, because wheat is mainly a winter crop and sorghum is primarily a summer crop, demand for sorghum is significantly lower, and there is no direct competition,” Gul told CEN.
However, he pointed out that sorghum yields in Pakistan are still meagre due to the lack of better cultivators, an insufficient plant population, unscientific fertiliser application, lack of weed control techniques and water conservation procedures. In addition, Gul indicated that the consumption pattern of sorghum is quite traditional, and it is not available as a commercially processed food in the Pakistani market.
“This is mainly due to the lack of processing technologies and availability of machinery. And sorghum has not been used in our beverage and baking food industry due to a variety of factors including lack of awareness and taste.
“There are not much sorghum grain processing plants in Pakistan. This industry holds immense potential to offer employment to hundreds of thousands people.” Similar views are echoed by Dr Shahzad Sabir from the Punjab Agriculture Department.
“Punjab and Sindh are the major sorghum producing provinces of Pakistan, contributing 47% and 26% respectively of the total,” he said.
“On the other hand, in 2019, we exported $23,500 in sorghum, making Pakistan the 53rd largest exporter of sorghum in the world. In the same year, sorghum was the 91st most exported product in Pakistan. Obviously, it is far from meeting expectations, especially in the face of growing global food crisis. Countless opportunities are waiting for us to discover together.”
“In 2020-21, we have carried out planting trials of more than 10 sorghum varieties in Pakistan and achieved preliminary results. Of these, five varieties – 01, 02, 03, 04, and 12 – performed better,” said Yuan Guobao, Vice Chairman of the Council and Chairman of the Committee of Agricultural Experts at the NEXT Federation, in an exclusive interview with CEN.
“The tannin content of domestically grown sorghum is generally around 1.3% to 1.6%, however, according to trial data, benefiting from local excellent light and temperature conditions, the tannin number can climb up to 2.3%. Given that the important role of tannin in food processing and industrial production, we can promote the cultivation of these varieties in Pakistan, and then ship them back to China for further processing.”
At the symposium a few days ago, Yuan not only systematically introduced the preliminary results of planting trials, but also pointed out the multiple economic benefits brought by possible large-scale planting in the future.
“The superior drought, barren and saline-alkaline tolerance of Chinese hybrid sorghum varieties makes it a good choice for Pakistan’s water-deficient and saline-alkali areas.
“Secondly, Pakistan has a vast rice-growing area. In some areas in the south near the Indian Ocean, after rice is harvested, sorghum can be planted in autumn and winter, thus the income of local farmers can be increased by crop rotation. If the planting area can be expanded in the future, the offshore area means that our ships will be more convenient to transport the processed sorghum and save transportation costs. Beyond doubt, it is an excellent model of cooperation with multiple economic benefits, increasing Pakistan’s foreign exchange effectively.”
According to Yuan, if large-scale planting of China’s dominant varieties can be realised in Pakistan, it is conservatively estimated that the local production will increase by about 50%.
Even better, the high tannin content in sorghum means this kind of strong-smelling and astringent chemical has natural resistance to birds and insects. Similar to the pest control effect of garlic, it is of great benefit to the effective control of insect attack.
It is just a tip of the iceberg of opportunities for Pakistan’s sorghum industry. Yuan mentioned that China implements active quota management on the import of rice, corn and wheat. Sorghum is under non-import quota management and only needs a bilateral quarantine agreement for import.
According to statistics released by the General Administration of Customs of China, from January to December 2021, China’s sorghum import volume was 9.42 million tons, up 4.61 million tons or 95.8% compared with 2020.
The import amount was $3.027 billion, an increase of $1.871 billion or 161.9% compared with 2020.
Based on the planting, experts from China and Pakistan agreed that it is crucial to further develop downstream deep processing industries and create more employment opportunities in the future.
Although imports have surged, processed products have not been included. “If agricultural joint ventures are established in countries along the Belt and Road, subsidies will be provided to processing lines, which will benefit the sorghum processing industry,” Yuan told CEN.
Dr Shahzor Gul specifically stated, “Sorghum could be processed into bakery products, puffed food, beverages, porridge and so on. And introduction of new technologies can remove the constraints of traditional processing methods, at the same time improve the nutrient content and shelf-life of products. We are blessed with a wide scope for cooperation.”
At present, the blueprint of China-Pakistan sorghum cooperation has drawn a strong first stroke. “Our first step, the sorghum planting training programme for Pakistani students is progressing smoothly, with the high-quality seed sources as the top priority. People engaged in agricultural science often say that ‘seeds are the chips of agriculture’, and I believe that the day when China-Pakistan sorghum cooperation bear fruit is not too far away,” Yuan concluded confidently.
The article originally appeared on the China Economic Net
Published in The Express Tribune, April 18th, 2022.
,.,.,.,
Sorghum cooperation: a new milestone in CPEC
Experts call commodity ‘the camel of crops’ based on its numerous excellent qualitiesApril 18, 2022
Federal government is taking measures for smooth supply of urea at affordable prices to help farmers in the planting of wheat crop.
As agricultural countries China and Pakistan are currently facing the same challenges – growing food demand and tight agricultural land jointly threaten food security.
In addition to the three major staple foods in the world, a crop has gradually attracted attention – sorghum.
As an indispensable dry food crop, sorghum is second only to wheat, corn, rice and barley in China in terms of planting area and output.
Agricultural experts call it “the camel of crops” based on its numerous excellent qualities such as resistance to pests and diseases, high temperature, cold, and salinity.
“Sorghum is a multi-purpose crop that can play an important role in food and fodder provision. At a time when the world is facing the dual challenges of the epidemic and food crisis, it is a win-win choice to incorporate this multi-purpose crop into the CPEC cooperation framework and add another layer of guarantee to the food security of China and Pakistan,” which was the consensus shared by experts on the Symposium on Sorghum Industry Development of China and Pakistan organised recently.
According to Dr Shahzor Gul, Assistant Professor, Institute of Food Sciences and Technology, Sindh Agriculture University, Pakistan, as the climatic conditions are excellent for sorghum production and emerging water shortage has necessitated the production of sorghum on a wide scale, this cash crop means the most affordable option.
“In Pakistan, about 5.4 tonnes of sorghum is produced per hectare, more than wheat and rice, which have 3 and 2.2 tonnes per hectare, respectively. Meanwhile, because wheat is mainly a winter crop and sorghum is primarily a summer crop, demand for sorghum is significantly lower, and there is no direct competition,” Gul told CEN.
However, he pointed out that sorghum yields in Pakistan are still meagre due to the lack of better cultivators, an insufficient plant population, unscientific fertiliser application, lack of weed control techniques and water conservation procedures. In addition, Gul indicated that the consumption pattern of sorghum is quite traditional, and it is not available as a commercially processed food in the Pakistani market.
“This is mainly due to the lack of processing technologies and availability of machinery. And sorghum has not been used in our beverage and baking food industry due to a variety of factors including lack of awareness and taste.
“There are not much sorghum grain processing plants in Pakistan. This industry holds immense potential to offer employment to hundreds of thousands people.” Similar views are echoed by Dr Shahzad Sabir from the Punjab Agriculture Department.
“Punjab and Sindh are the major sorghum producing provinces of Pakistan, contributing 47% and 26% respectively of the total,” he said.
“On the other hand, in 2019, we exported $23,500 in sorghum, making Pakistan the 53rd largest exporter of sorghum in the world. In the same year, sorghum was the 91st most exported product in Pakistan. Obviously, it is far from meeting expectations, especially in the face of growing global food crisis. Countless opportunities are waiting for us to discover together.”
“In 2020-21, we have carried out planting trials of more than 10 sorghum varieties in Pakistan and achieved preliminary results. Of these, five varieties – 01, 02, 03, 04, and 12 – performed better,” said Yuan Guobao, Vice Chairman of the Council and Chairman of the Committee of Agricultural Experts at the NEXT Federation, in an exclusive interview with CEN.
“The tannin content of domestically grown sorghum is generally around 1.3% to 1.6%, however, according to trial data, benefiting from local excellent light and temperature conditions, the tannin number can climb up to 2.3%. Given that the important role of tannin in food processing and industrial production, we can promote the cultivation of these varieties in Pakistan, and then ship them back to China for further processing.”
At the symposium a few days ago, Yuan not only systematically introduced the preliminary results of planting trials, but also pointed out the multiple economic benefits brought by possible large-scale planting in the future.
“The superior drought, barren and saline-alkaline tolerance of Chinese hybrid sorghum varieties makes it a good choice for Pakistan’s water-deficient and saline-alkali areas.
“Secondly, Pakistan has a vast rice-growing area. In some areas in the south near the Indian Ocean, after rice is harvested, sorghum can be planted in autumn and winter, thus the income of local farmers can be increased by crop rotation. If the planting area can be expanded in the future, the offshore area means that our ships will be more convenient to transport the processed sorghum and save transportation costs. Beyond doubt, it is an excellent model of cooperation with multiple economic benefits, increasing Pakistan’s foreign exchange effectively.”
According to Yuan, if large-scale planting of China’s dominant varieties can be realised in Pakistan, it is conservatively estimated that the local production will increase by about 50%.
Even better, the high tannin content in sorghum means this kind of strong-smelling and astringent chemical has natural resistance to birds and insects. Similar to the pest control effect of garlic, it is of great benefit to the effective control of insect attack.
It is just a tip of the iceberg of opportunities for Pakistan’s sorghum industry. Yuan mentioned that China implements active quota management on the import of rice, corn and wheat. Sorghum is under non-import quota management and only needs a bilateral quarantine agreement for import.
According to statistics released by the General Administration of Customs of China, from January to December 2021, China’s sorghum import volume was 9.42 million tons, up 4.61 million tons or 95.8% compared with 2020.
The import amount was $3.027 billion, an increase of $1.871 billion or 161.9% compared with 2020.
Based on the planting, experts from China and Pakistan agreed that it is crucial to further develop downstream deep processing industries and create more employment opportunities in the future.
Although imports have surged, processed products have not been included. “If agricultural joint ventures are established in countries along the Belt and Road, subsidies will be provided to processing lines, which will benefit the sorghum processing industry,” Yuan told CEN.
Dr Shahzor Gul specifically stated, “Sorghum could be processed into bakery products, puffed food, beverages, porridge and so on. And introduction of new technologies can remove the constraints of traditional processing methods, at the same time improve the nutrient content and shelf-life of products. We are blessed with a wide scope for cooperation.”
At present, the blueprint of China-Pakistan sorghum cooperation has drawn a strong first stroke. “Our first step, the sorghum planting training programme for Pakistani students is progressing smoothly, with the high-quality seed sources as the top priority. People engaged in agricultural science often say that ‘seeds are the chips of agriculture’, and I believe that the day when China-Pakistan sorghum cooperation bear fruit is not too far away,” Yuan concluded confidently.
The article originally appeared on the China Economic Net
Published in The Express Tribune, April 18th, 2022.
,.,.,.,
ghazi52
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SOURCE....dailytimes.com.pk
BEIJING: Chinese seed company is looking forward to establishing a technology transfer-product process-export model for seed cooperation with Pakistani partners.
“Under this model, we grow crops in Pakistan utilizing Chinese technology together with local companies and then sell the processed products back to China”, said Zhou Xusheng from Wuhan Qingfa Hesheng Seed Co., Ltd in an interview following a recent salon on market access organized by the National South Asian Standardization (Chengdu) Research Center of China and attended by participants from both Pakistan and China.
Take hybrid rice as an example. Pakistan, once the world’s seventh-largest rice exporter, became the fourth-largest after the introduction of hybrid rice from China, which improves production by 50-80% and enhances the process quality by 10%.
By doing so, local farmers benefit from rice of higher quality and more production, local enterprises become more competitive in the global market, and huge revenue can be brought, Zhou told China Economic Net (CEN).
The seed company, with nearly two decades experience in promoting hybrid rice in Pakistan, has contributed to the examination of the first Chinese hybrid rice variety QY0413 in Pakistan’s history and developed Komal, the first hybrid rice variety with long growth period in Pakistan.
Currently, the company is providing the seeds of hybrid rice, rape, tomato, pepper, and watermelon in Pakistan.
Research is also underway in Sindh for heat- and alkaline- resistant rice varieties.
But to set up a complete ‘technology transfer-product process-export’ chain, more needs to be done.
According to Zhou, to build the model well, first there should be high-quality selected varieties that can be adapted to local conditions in Pakistan.
According to Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), the average rice yield of Pakistan is generally lower than that of China, U.S., North Korea, South Korea, India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brazil, Egypt, Iran, etc. In the past ten years, the average rice yield in Pakistan almost stagnated with only a slight increase. To solve this problem, Pakistan can only rely on introducing high-yielding varieties.
In this regard, Zhou recommends more R&D investment on varieties with good quality, high production, and resilience to local climate.
In addition, according to Zhou, a complete rice grading mechanism that distinguishes rice of different quality for different purposes, as well as enhanced awareness of the value of high-quality rice throughout the planting, purchasing, processing, and exporting process are also in need.
We would like to enhance exchanges and training with local partners, collaborate with Pakistani rice export association to set up grading system, and build local production bases to help stabilize rice production area and guard against emergencies threatening food security, Zhou added.
,,
China eager to strengthen seed cooperation with Pakistan
April 15, 2022SOURCE....dailytimes.com.pk
Zhou Xusheng of Wuhan Qingfa Hesheng Seed Co., Ltd. said in an interview
BEIJING: Chinese seed company is looking forward to establishing a technology transfer-product process-export model for seed cooperation with Pakistani partners.
“Under this model, we grow crops in Pakistan utilizing Chinese technology together with local companies and then sell the processed products back to China”, said Zhou Xusheng from Wuhan Qingfa Hesheng Seed Co., Ltd in an interview following a recent salon on market access organized by the National South Asian Standardization (Chengdu) Research Center of China and attended by participants from both Pakistan and China.
Take hybrid rice as an example. Pakistan, once the world’s seventh-largest rice exporter, became the fourth-largest after the introduction of hybrid rice from China, which improves production by 50-80% and enhances the process quality by 10%.
By doing so, local farmers benefit from rice of higher quality and more production, local enterprises become more competitive in the global market, and huge revenue can be brought, Zhou told China Economic Net (CEN).
The seed company, with nearly two decades experience in promoting hybrid rice in Pakistan, has contributed to the examination of the first Chinese hybrid rice variety QY0413 in Pakistan’s history and developed Komal, the first hybrid rice variety with long growth period in Pakistan.
Currently, the company is providing the seeds of hybrid rice, rape, tomato, pepper, and watermelon in Pakistan.
Research is also underway in Sindh for heat- and alkaline- resistant rice varieties.
But to set up a complete ‘technology transfer-product process-export’ chain, more needs to be done.
According to Zhou, to build the model well, first there should be high-quality selected varieties that can be adapted to local conditions in Pakistan.
According to Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), the average rice yield of Pakistan is generally lower than that of China, U.S., North Korea, South Korea, India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brazil, Egypt, Iran, etc. In the past ten years, the average rice yield in Pakistan almost stagnated with only a slight increase. To solve this problem, Pakistan can only rely on introducing high-yielding varieties.
In this regard, Zhou recommends more R&D investment on varieties with good quality, high production, and resilience to local climate.
In addition, according to Zhou, a complete rice grading mechanism that distinguishes rice of different quality for different purposes, as well as enhanced awareness of the value of high-quality rice throughout the planting, purchasing, processing, and exporting process are also in need.
We would like to enhance exchanges and training with local partners, collaborate with Pakistani rice export association to set up grading system, and build local production bases to help stabilize rice production area and guard against emergencies threatening food security, Zhou added.
,,
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