China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) | Agriculture

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Sino-Pak Agricultural Breeding Innovations Included in Projects for Swift Completion​

By Tahir Ali
Oct 30, 2023

Given that agriculture holds a prominent position on the Special Investment Facilitation Council’s (SIFC) priority list, the Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives (PD&SI) has intensified its efforts to execute multiple projects within the agriculture sector.

The “Sino-Pak Agricultural Breeding Innovations Project for Rapid Yield Enhancement” remains one of the significant programs in the agriculture sector in the country.

The Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) has allotted funds for various billion-worth projects, including the Sino-Pak Agriculture Breeding Innovations program, aiming to maximize the potential within the agriculture sector.

The purpose of the agricultural breeding innovations project for “rapid yield enhancement” is to implement innovative techniques and technologies to significantly increase agricultural yields in a short period. This project aims to improve crop productivity, quality, and resilience to various environmental stressors, ultimately enhancing food security and sustainability in the agricultural sector.

Initially approved in 2020 with an estimated cost of Rs. 433.936 million, expenditure of the project stood at Rs. 370.670 million by June 2023, with Rs. 63.266 million carried over to the current fiscal year. In PSDP 2023-24, the entire allocated amount of Rs. 63.266 million has been earmarked to conclude the project.

On Sunday, the Ministry of PD&SI asked relevant ministries to accelerate the implementations and to complete all the projects, especially at a time when SIFC took the lead and agriculture was the top priority besides the other key sectors.

SIFC was established earlier this year to attract foreign and local investments while targeting five key areas which include Agriculture, Defense Production, Mining/Minerals, Information Technology and Telecommunication, and Energy.

In 2023, the then Prime Minister of Pakistan launched “Initiatives for Green Revolution 2.0” with an estimated Rs 5000 million to address the key constraints to the productivity of agriculture.

The government emphasized on promotion of technology to reduce post-harvest losses, value addition for grain, fruits, and vegetables, productivity enhancement of major crops, engaging women and youth in agriculture, and agri-business and promoting and supporting agricultural research.

 

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Pak-China Snail Industry Alliance to Unleash Export Potential​

By Saira Iqbal
Nov 2, 2023

Nanjing - “Leveraging China's expertise in snail farming techniques, technology transfer, and market access, Pakistan can develop the snail industry to tap into the international market, particularly in Europe and other developed regions,” said Jin Jingqi, Vice President of Jiangsu Design Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Special Expert for Rural Revitalization in Jiangsu Province.

In recent years, driven by the rural revitalization strategy, China's snail industry has been rapidly growing. Chinese white jade snail, a natural variation of Achatina fulica found by Chinese researchers in the 1980s, is a superior variety compared to other snail species worldwide. It features clean white flesh and higher nutritional content.

The snails have multiple values, including their shell rich in calcium for toothpaste production, delicious and protein-rich snail meat, snail mucus for cosmetics, and snail enzymes with medical value for tissue repair.

“Snail farming can be carried out through ecological farming, where snails coexist with existing crops in the field. Snails can provide organic fertilizer and promote crop yield, while farm waste, including leftover leaves and fruits, can be snail feeds.” Jin Jingqi introduced. According to his experience, ecological snail farming can increase an average output of USD10,000 per acre per year.

Another farming form, industrial farming, requires more complicated management and larger space for constructing multi-level breeding sheds, with an expected annual output of USD500,000 per acre. However, ecologically farmed snails generally have better quality."

Global demand for snails in 2023 presents a gap of about 1 billion tons, with developed countries such as Europe, America, Japan, and South Korea being major consumers. Those developed countries are limited in snail production due to their higher cost of labor, land and feed.

We aim to build a complete international snail industry chain to meet both domestic and international market demands. As a developing country with favorable international trade channels and a strong agricultural sector, Pakistan can be a crucial part of the chain." Jin Jingqi said.

During the China-Pakistan Technical Cooperation and Promotion Exchange Conference held on Monday, Jin Jingqi delivered a report on the whole international industry chain of the snail industry, introducing the progress of snail industry in China and its potential in the international market, which interested Pakistani government officials and businesses.

"Pak-China cooperation in snail industry is very doable. The embassy will also support Jin Jingqi by providing potential partners for undertaking this project in Pakistan," said Khan Muhammad Wazir, Science Counselor of the Pakistani Embassy in China.

To drive the China-Pakistan snail industry cooperation and unlock its economic potential, Jin Jingqi emphasizes the importance of technology transfer, recommending technical personnel training, establishment of processing assembly lines and launching pilot projects for industrial snail farming in Pakistan.

By integrating the snail industry into its existing agricultural framework, Pakistan can create substantial economic value and position itself as a reliable player in the global snail industry chain.

 

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Chinese technology can multiply agriculture production in Pakistan:​

By Shafqat Ali
Nov 3, 2023

ISLAMABAD - Caretaker Pakistan Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Dr Kausar Abdullah Malik said on Thursday afternoon that Chinese technology can multiply the agriculture production in Pakistan.

Malik chaired a meeting at the Ministry of National Food Security and Research to discuss ways to enhance the productivity of wheat, rice, and sugarcane.

At the meeting, the Federal Minister emphasized the importance of agriculture as a cornerstone of the country's economy and pledged to address obstacles in agricultural projects on a priority basis to ensure timely completion of projects serving national and public interests.

He said the second phase of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor focuses on agriculture and the recent support from China in the agriculture sector had been immensely helpful.

He maintained that Chinese technology and experience can give a powerful injection to the agriculture production on Pakistan which was far below the capacity.

During the meeting, the Federal Minister was briefed on various accomplishments. Notably, the production capacity of wheat has increased by 4 million tons, resulting in a financial benefit of 400 billion rupees.

The meeting also discussed progress in enhancing rice production, where the project, launched under the Prime Ministerial Agriculture Emergency Program, has contributed to a significant increase in rice production, with rice exports totaling USD 2.5 billion in 2021-22. Subsidies were provided for seed, fertilizers, weedicide, and farming machinery.

In terms of sugarcane, the project aimed at boosting productivity with investments from various stakeholders. Several surveys, training programs, and research activities have led to a 5.7-ton per hector (ha) yield increase overall, with even higher results in Punjab at 7.9 ton/ha, exceeding the target of 19.8 t/ha.

 

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China-Pakistan training forum on "Livestock Disease Control" organised​

By Shafqat Ali
Nov 16, 2023

LAHORE, - University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS), in conjunction with Livestock and Dairy Development Department, Punjab and China Agriculture University, organized a China-Pakistan training forum focused on "Livestock Disease Control" here on Wednesday afternoon.

The collaborative partnership between UVAS and Chinese academic and business entities was highlighted as beneficial for academic advancement, research, and export enhancement.

On the occasion, Chinese Consul General in Lahore Zhao Shiren expressed full support for UVAS and Chinese collaboration, pledging a constructive role in promoting academic and business linkages and enhancing trade ties between Pakistan and China.

 

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Experts for Chinese help in promotion of sugar industry​

By Staff Reporter | Business Recorder
Nov 18, 2023

Amid the urgent need for adoption of modern technology, agriculture experts urged for joining hands with China for promotion of sugar industry by learning from mutual experiences for mutual gains.

Talking to media here on Saturday, Khan Faraz, an Agriculture expert said that sugarcane is an important cash crop of Pakistan grown on a large area of the country. A number of sugar mills have been established for manufacture of sugar from the sugarcane grown in the country.

Also, some portion of the crop is used for the production of “Gur” (jiggery) especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The sugar industry is the second largest agriculture based industry after textile.

He said that sugarcane is a longer duration crop as compared to other cash crops grown in the country. Farmers require great skill and huge investment to grow this crop, and face a host of problems including increasing cost of inputs, labour and water, he added.

Pakistan and China trade officials have reportedly recently discussed measures to enhance their cooperation in the sugarcane sector aiming to produce high grade sugar to export it to the world market.

Also, experts from China and Pakistan discussed the potential of collaboration in the sugar industry. Wherein, it was observed that there was a great scope of cooperation between China and Pakistan including sugar industry by learning from mutual experiences for mutual gains.

Therefore, both countries should join hands to promote sugarcane production and processing using modern technologies and techniques, such as tissue culture, disease-free seedlings and integrated pest management.

Faraz said that Pakistan is a traditional agricultural country, but there is still a lot more to be done to modernize its agriculture sector to enable it to meet international standards.

Pakistan sugarcane industry could not prosper until growers get access to the best sugarcane varieties and practices, said Faraz, adding that Pakistan should start a sugarcane breeding programme with the help of China, and learn from its experience and expertise.

 

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3rd China-Pak non-wood forest S&T exchange conference to be held this month​

By Mia Shah | China Economic Net
Nov 21, 2023

ZHENGZHOU, - The third Science and Technology Exchange Conference on China-Pakistan Tropical Arid Non-wood Forest will be held from October 26 to 28 in Zhengzhou, China, and Gwadar, Pakistan. The conference will take place both online and offline simultaneously.

The event is hosted by the Chinese Society of Forestry (CSF) and Central South University of Forestry and Technology, and organized by Henan Agricultural University, Henan Forestry Society, Economic Forest Branch of CSF, China Overseas Port Holding Company and Yulin Holdings.

With a focus on medicinal woody plants and their active substances, the organizers will invite experts from both China and Pakistan to discuss the advancements made in improving the efficiency of the non-wood forest industry in arid areas. The conference will specifically highlight the extraction and utilization of these plants and their active substances in arid regions.

The science and technology exchange conference also seeks to facilitate the improvement of ecological environment and people's livelihoods in Pakistan's tropical arid areas. At the same time, its research results will also contribute to the Chinese market and help address the shortage of non-wood forest products in China.

 

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The only wish to feed more people: Chinese hybrid rice scientist in Pakistan

China Economic Net
Nov 22, 2023

LAHORE, Nov. 22 (China Economic Net) – “The yield of local Basmati rice is about 4.5 tons/hectare, while the yield of hybrid rice varieties we developed can reach up to 12 tons/hectare, as well as the average yield in large areas has also reached 9 tons/hectare.

Compared with local varieties, it has increased by up to 50% or 100%.” Long Chunjiu, Director of the Pakistan Breeding Station, Yuan Longping High-tech Agriculture Co., Ltd., wearing work clothes and rubber boots, told reporters, “Agricultural scientific research does not mean big talk in an air-conditioned room. Lack of long-term fieldwork means nothing accomplished.”

The only wish to feed more people: Chinese hybrid rice scientist in Pakistan

Long Chunjiu in the test field of Lahore, Pakistan [Photo provided to CEN]

Local media reported that Yuan Longping High-tech and Guard Agricultural Research & Services (Pvt) Limited have just conducted a successful commercial trial of their 14th hybrid rice variety in Sindh. Compared to the previous varieties, the new one has the potential for more yield; besides, it is resistant to heat and lodging to a higher degree.

“The new variety has more yield potential. It is also heat tolerant which will help cope with the challenges posed by high temperatures and prolong summers. We trialed it for three years. Now, it will be available for commercial plantation from the next season,” said Momin Ali Malik, Guard’s Seed Division Executive.

In 1999, Yuan Longping High-Tech and Pakistan Guard Agricultural Services signed a cooperation agreement to jointly develop hybrid rice in Pakistan. For more than two decades, the two sides have been working closely to promote hybrid rice in Pakistan to bear plump fruit.

“Our center’s breeding area has exceeded 15 acres, meaning it can breed 1-2 leading varieties every year for the Pakistan’s farmer or agriculture. It not only provides adequate food for local people, but also greatly promotes employment for local youth." Long Chunjiu told China Economic Net.

Rice, as an essential food variety and export commodity of Pakistan, its importance cannot be overstated. In 2022, more than 2.1 million acres of hybrid rice has been planted in the country.

“Our hybrid rice seeds are highly tolerant to various harsh environments, including high temperature, drought and saline-alkali. Not only that, they are also low-cost. Good economic benefits make it highly praised in the local area, and has been widely cultivated in 40% of the rice areas in Sindh, 30% of Balochistan and 3% of Punjab, earning Pakistan USD 300 million in foreign exchange every year,” Long introduced.

Knowing very well of Pakistan’s agricultural conditions such as climate, soil, water resources, and insect pests, “scientific planting methods must be developed based on local climate and hydrological characteristics to truly help local farmers increase production and income,” Long noted.

From the initial screening trials of a small number of varieties to today’s large-scale selection, Long has trained more than 50 graduate students, forming an excellent local breeding R&D team and others. As the planting area of hybrid rice in Pakistan continues to expand, the center invites Pakistani employees to visit the experimental base every year for theoretical training and practical guidance.

“Doing only one thing for more than a decade, but I’m the luckiest person.” The hybrid rice fields under the scorching sun have carved thousands of days and nights, as an eyewitness and participant of the Belt and Road Initiative and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Long smiled, with a whirlpool of emotion. “Our great leader Professor Yuan mentioned several times that his first dream was for super rice to grow taller than sorghum, with stems each ear as long as a broom, and each grain as big as a peanut.

Then he could actually enjoy the cool underneath the rice crops. His second dream is that hybrid rice can be grown all over the world. The words have always spurred me on. Lead Pakistani partners to create more excellent hybrid rice varieties so that more people can have enough to eat. It is my only wish.”

 

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Pakistan gets heat-tolerant, high-yield hybrid rice variety​

Pakistan Observer
Nov 21, 2023

Farmers in Sindh and South Punjab are all set to get a new heat-resistant hybrid rice variety with high yield potential during the next season after the completion of its successful commercial trial in Larkana.

Yuan Longping High-Tech, a leading Chinese agricultural company and Guard Agricultural Research & Services (Pvt) Limited have conducted a successful commercial trial of their 14th Hybrid Rice variety In Sindh.

Compared to the previous varieties, the new one has the potential for more yield besides it is resistant to heat and lodging.

“The new variety has more yield potential. It is also heat tolerant which will help cope with the challenges posed by high temperatures and prolong summers. In collaboration with Yuan Longping High-Tech, we trialed this new variety for three years.

Now, it will be available for commercial plantation from the next season,” said Momin Ali Malik, Guard’s Seed Division Executive while talking to a group of journalists.

Journalists from Lahore also visited Larkana along with the Chinese and local scientists and witnessed the new variety near harvest.

Mr Tai, a representative of Yuan Longping High-Tech, said that it was the 14th variety being introduced with the Sino-Pak collaboration. He said that the new variety has more yield potential than the previous ones.

“Previous varieties have increased the production from 60-70 to 120 maunds per acre. The new variety is heat tolerant with the yield potential of more than 150 maunds per acre,” he said.

Guard started introducing hybrid rice technology to farmers in Sindh in the early 2000s after years of research and field trials in collaboration with China’s Yuan Longping High-Tech Agriculture company.

The efforts helped double per acre rice yield and boosted the farmers’ income leading to the alleviation of poverty in the rice-growing areas of Sindh and Southern Punjab.

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3rd China-Pak non-wood forest S&T exchange conference to be held this month​

China Economic Net
Nov 21, 2023

ZHENGZHOU, - The third Science and Technology Exchange Conference on China-Pakistan Tropical Arid Non-wood Forest will be held from November 26 to 28 in Zhengzhou, China, and Gwadar, Pakistan. The conference will take place both online and offline simultaneously.

The event is hosted by the Chinese Society of Forestry (CSF) and Central South University of Forestry and Technology, and organized by Henan Agricultural University, Henan Forestry Society, Economic Forest Branch of CSF, China Overseas Port Holding Company and Yulin Holdings.

With a focus on medicinal woody plants and their active substances, the organizers will invite experts from both China and Pakistan to discuss the advancements made in improving the efficiency of the non-wood forest industry in arid areas.

The conference will specifically highlight the extraction and utilization of these plants and their active substances in arid regions.

The science and technology exchange conference also seeks to facilitate the improvement of ecological environment and people's livelihoods in Pakistan's tropical arid areas.

At the same time, its research results will also contribute to the Chinese market and help address the shortage of non-wood forest products in China.

 

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More Pakistani chili farmers engage in contract farming cooperation with China​

By Mia Shah | Gwadar Pro
Aug 8, 2024

BEIJING - In August, Wahid, a farmer in Pakistan's Pakpattan District, celebrated a bumper chili harvest. This marks the third year he has cultivated chilies using seeds and technology imported from China. "My chilies are larger than those grown by others, and my neighbors are envious, Wahid proudly shared. He emphasized that the Chinese chili seed varieties are exceptional, and the planting techniques are more refined and efficient, ensuring a successful chili harvest.

This year, Sichuan Neijiang bonded warehouse has successively received two shipments totaling 332 tons of dried chilies under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Agricultural Cooperation Project. The chilies were promptly processed, with one portion used for producing Sichuan composite condiments and the other for processing Pixian douban, a fermented chili bean paste widely used in Sichuan cuisine.

Chinese enterprises are assisting Pakistani farmers in cultivating chilies and exporting the locally produced chilies to China. This partnership exemplifies the flourishing agricultural cooperation between China and Pakistan.

Pepper is a traditional crop in Pakistan, but for a long time, its planting area has been scattered, and the seed quality and planting technology level need improvement. In 2021, Sichuan Litong Food Group sent staff to Pakistan for investigation. The local favorable climate conditions and cost advantages prompted Litong to propose agricultural cooperation with Pakistani farmers.

With high-quality chili seeds and advanced planting technology, the company has initiated trial planting in various regions of Pakistan. It has established multiple planting bases in Hyderabad, Multan, Kasur, and other locations to validate the feasibility of the planting technology, industrial model, and economic benefits.

"Modern agricultural planting is no longer just 'physical labor', but also 'technical work'," said Zhao Jianhua, an expert of the project. According to him, from chili seedling, farmland preparation, transplanting to field management, weeding, and fertilization, pest control, they provide full technical guidance to Pakistani farmers who have signed up for planting to ensure that chili yield and quality meet export standards.

Under the contract farming model, the company buys back the harvested chilies, which not only promotes the quality of agricultural products but also protects the interests of local farmers.

"We now have 120 Pakistani employees, more than 80% of whom have master’s degrees in agriculture-related fields, and the company is collaborating with local universities in Pakistan to nurture talent," said Zhao.

This year, the project will also introduce Chinese agricultural machinery and equipment on a pilot basis to improve the level of mechanization in harvesting and sorting. "To reduce the impact of storage and transportation on the quality of chili and promote the professional development of Pakistan's chili industry, we plan to complete a series of precursor operations such as cleaning, drying, and crushing in Pakistan in the future,” he said.

Since 2022, when Pakistan's chili planting agro-industry demonstration and promotion project was included in the first batch of CPEC agricultural projects, Pakistan has accelerated the pace of development in the chili industry. They have built 30 plantations covering a total area of 16,000 acres and trained more than 1,500 agricultural technicians. The yield per acre has increased by about 100,000 rupees, and the income has reached three times that of traditional crops.

The smooth export of the chili and the good prices at which they sell have motivated the Wahid family to work hard to cultivate higher quality chilies. This year, several of their neighbors have joined them in growing a Chinese variety of chili and engaging in contract farming cooperation.