Pakistan Agriculture Developments

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Plan to end agri-sector intervention sought​

By Staff Reporter | The Express Tribune

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has again asked Pakistan to submit a plan for orderly transition from the agricultural support price mechanism to market-determined rates of commodities aimed at preventing farmers from losses and supply chain disruption.

In the absence of any such plan, there is a policy paralysis and no decision has been taken on the quantum of maintaining the strategic reserves of wheat.

The global lender inquired about the agricultural transition plan late last month during a virtual meeting, two months after the deadline to prepare and submit the plan lapsed, according to the government sources.

The plan had to be submitted by the end of September 2024 but so far the Ministry of National Food Security and Research has not submitted any such document, according to sources in food and finance ministries. However, the food ministry has prepared a brief for provinces, where it emphasised the need for maintaining strategic reserves but there is no consensus that could determine the volume of reserves and give farmers a plan to deal with the end to the support price mechanism.

Sources said that the IMF held a virtual meeting three weeks ago and inquired about the plan. It also emerged that during talks for the $7 billion loan programme, the food ministry had certain reservations about ending the current agricultural policies. But those views were overruled and Pakistan signed the loan agreement. It is now bound to meet the agreed deadlines.

"To set expectations for the 2025 Kharif crop season and minimise disruptions, we will lay out our strategy for transition arrangements by end-September 2024," was the commitment the finance minister gave to the IMF.

Ministry of Finance spokesperson Qumar Abbasi's response was awaited till the filing of the story.

Pakistani authorities also held internal discussions last week to discuss the challenges being faced in smooth implementation of the IMF programme. The issue of submitting the transition plan was also discussed. The government last week transferred National Food Security Secretary Ali Tahir without attributing any reason, just three months after his posting. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has been frequently transferring the food secretary after assuming the office.

He transferred Captain (Retd) Mohammad Asif and appointed Dr Fakhar Alam as food secretary in May this year. Then in September, Ali Tahir was posed as food secretary but was replaced last week. Now, Waseem Ajmal is the new secretary.

Sources said that during the IMF meetings, the mission chief raised questions about the transition plan and building strategic reserves in case Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (Passco) was closed down.

The PM had decided to wind up Passco but the process came to a halt. Passco is mandated to maintain 2 million metric tons of strategic reserves. Pakistan's federal and provincial governments had agreed, in principle, to refrain from announcing support prices for raw commodities and limit procurement to the extent of food security purposes.

As a result, the federal and provincial governments stopped setting prices and procuring wheat from the market. But the decision was abruptly implemented without any plan that led to price crash. Likewise, the government has not set the sugarcane support price, leaving farmers at the mercy of sugar mills.

 

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Sesame seed exports to China surge 180%​

APP
March 27, 2025

Photo: Reuters



BEIJING: Pakistan's sesame seed exports to China surged by 179.88% in the first two months of 2025, reflecting growing demand and deepening agricultural trade ties between the two nations, said Ghulam Qadir, Trade and Investment Counsellor at Pakistan's Embassy in Beijing.

Pakistan exported 22,740 metric tonnes of sesame seeds worth $28.27 million in January and February 2025, compared to 5,998 metric tonnes worth $10.10 million during the same period last year. This sharp rise highlights Pakistan's strengthening position in China's sesame market, driven by improved quality, streamlined trade processes, and rising consumer demand.

"Pakistan is among the top sesame exporters to China, benefiting from its expanding food industry and demand for high-quality agricultural products," Qadir stated. He attributed the growth to Pakistan's favourable climatic conditions, enhanced farming techniques, and trade facilitation.

 

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Growers get training in climate-smart farming​

Programme will ease impact of global warming, strengthen agri-resilience

GOHAR ALI KHA
NMarch 27, 2025

KARACHI:
To mitigate the rising impact of climate change on the agricultural land of Sindh and control falling crop yields, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is imparting climate-resilient and smart-agriculture training to 90,000 growers belonging to three districts of Sindh in the first of the programme.

The initiative is expected to strengthen agricultural resilience in Sindh, ensuring farmers can adapt to climate challenges while improving productivity and sustainability.

To reduce the impact of global warming on agriculture, the FAO in collaboration with various agricultural institutions, including the Sindh Agriculture University (SAU), is providing advanced training to 90,000 farmers.

During a media briefing at the FAO Sindh office, FAO Project Coordinator Ashfaq Ahmed Nahiyoon said climate change was a serious challenge and threat to global agriculture, with Sindh farmers among the most vulnerable.

He stressed that media could play a crucial role in raising awareness among farmers about adverse effects of climate change on crops and the adoption of climate-resilient agricultural practices.



To address this major challenge, the FAO, under the Green Climate Fund-backed project "Transforming the Indus Basin with Climate Resilient Agriculture and Water Management", is conducting large-scale training sessions to help farmers adopt climate-smart agricultural practices.

"In the first phase, training sessions are being held in Umerkot, Badin and Sanghar, focusing on climate adaptation and sustainable techniques. So far, 10,000 farmers have received training in advanced cultivation methods through the Sindh Agriculture University, Agricultural Research Sindh and Agriculture Extension Departments," he said.

FAO Technical Officer and Agronomist Ghulam Murtaza Arain said farmer field schools had been set up in those districts while providing hands-on training in land preparation, seed quality enhancement, climate-smart cultivation methods, intercropping, water-efficient irrigation, organic fertilisation, crop rotation, cooperative marketing systems and afforestation campaigns.

Agricultural Research Institute Director Imdad Ali Soho said all key agricultural institutions were working towards supporting farmers in boosting agricultural productivity and improving their economic opportunities.

FAO Communication Officer Usama Mughal emphasised the importance of media and digital platforms in spreading awareness about climate-resilient agriculture, encouraging the use of social media and community-based communication for wider outreach.

Talking to The Express Tribune, a small number of growers said giving training in the face of changing climatic conditions was necessary as growers were unaware of weather conditions, which were taking a heavy toll on standing crops and yields.

It is really sad that over 20 public and private research institutions have gone into long hibernation and failed to produce any seed variety which can bear the sweltering heat in summer.

 

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Sino-Pak study develops new floral varieties to boost yields​

By Waseem Bloch - Gwadar Pro
Mar 29, 2025

KUNMING, Mar 29 (Gwadar Pro) – A joint study by Pakistan’s Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University (SBBU) and China’s Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences (YAAS) has tested new techniques that could assist Pakistani farmers in growing roses and marigolds, flowers commonly used in the country for cultural events and celebrations.

Dr. Niaz Ali in a lab at Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China [Photo provided to Gwadar Pro]


The one-year project, based in Yunnan, southwest China, examined ways to tackle issues like diseases and pests that impact roses and marigolds. To enhance their resistance to diseases,

Pakistani and Chinese researchers have developed a novel approach to cultivate new rose and marigold varieties faster and less costly. They have also birthed a new technique to detect common pathogens affecting theses flowers, such as fungi and viruses, and tested methods to manage them.

Dr. Niaz Ali flowers roses at a trial field in Yunnan, China [Photo provided to Gwadar Pro]


Dr. Niaz Ali, a lecturer from SBBU and the sole Pakistani scientist involved in the project, told Gwadar Pro, “The new variaties could be developed without the need for complex tissue culture processes. And they are more resistant to diseases and better suited to local conditions and harsh climates,” two chronic ills for floral farming in Pakistan.

He added that these new techniques could reduce virus-induced losses and increase output. They may also be applied to other crops including cotton, wheat and rice, he noted.

As a next step, the two institutions aim to jointly cultivate more high-yielding and disease-resistant floral varieties, and roll out best practices and procedures to Pakistan. They will also explore the potential use of these flowers in oils or medicinal products, Dr. Ali revealed.

 

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MoC signed to deepen China-Pakistan cooperation in cotton research​

By Staff Reporter | China Economic Net
Apr 4, 2025

ANYANG, Apr. 4 (China Economic Net) - A Memorandum of Cooperation was signed by the institute of Cotton Research of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (ICR-CAAS) and the Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad, Pakistan, in Anyang, Henan, China on March 25, aiming to launch comprehensive cooperation in cotton germplasm innovation, pest-resistant breeding, and cultivation technologies.

Under the new agreement, both sides will collaborate on germplasm collection and identification, variety improvement focused on pest resistance, joint breeding and field trials across both countries, and the integration of advanced cultivation techniques.

The partnership also aims to strengthen talent exchange and training, contributing to the development of a China-Pakistan cotton technology community.

As part of the visit, the Pakistani delegation engaged in in-depth academic exchanges with ICR scientists and toured key research facilities such as the National Key Laboratory for Cotton Bio-Breeding and so on.

The experts gained a detailed understanding of China’s cutting-edge advancements in insect-resistant gene editing and cotton germplasm innovation. Dr. Abid Mahmood, Director General Agri. (Research), Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad, hailed ICR’s scientific capacity and expressed strong interest in leveraging China’s technologies to accelerate agricultural modernization in Pakistan.

 

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Lack of storage facilities causes post-harvest losses​

The area of vegetable cultivation has increased by 15 to 64 per cent while their prices have reduced by 52 per cent

Asif Mahmood
April 13, 2025

A high agricultural yield in a land-based economy would naturally be seen as a positive development. However, in the absence of modern storage, processing, and packaging facilities, surplus production leads to two unfortunate outcomes: either farmers are forced to sell their produce at extremely low prices, or the excess vegetables go to waste.

After suffering losses in wheat cultivation last year, a large number of farmers in Punjab turned to seasonal vegetables, including peas, potatoes, cabbage, onions, tomatoes, garlic, carrots, and radishes. As a result of large-scale production, reduced local demand, and low exports, market prices for vegetables dropped to their lowest levels in five years, causing significant financial losses for farmers.

Ali Hamza, a farmer from Bhasin, faced heavy losses when he cultivated wheat on 10 acres of land last year. This year, he grew seasonal vegetables such as peas, turnips, carrots, radishes, and greens on five acres instead. However, due to falling market prices, he suffered losses once again. “I suffered a loss of Rs300,000 in the cabbage and carrot crops alone. Instead of selling the cabbage in the market, I fed it to my cattle as fodder,” said Hamza.

Similarly, Mian Afzal, a middleman in the vegetable market, shared that the situation also impacted middlemen who had provided advance payments to farmers for planting vegetables. “Farmers usually repay the loan after the crop is harvested. Now, they’re not even earning enough to cover the cost of harvesting and transporting the crop to market. How will they repay the middlemen?” questioned Afzal.



According to Dr. Anjum Ali Buttar, former Director General of the Punjab Agriculture Department (Extension), vegetable cultivation began earlier than usual this season, and favorable weather conditions led to increased production. “Moreover, this year, vegetables—especially potatoes and cabbage—could not be exported from Punjab to Afghanistan, which increased local supply and drove down prices,” explained Dr. Buttar.

Aamir Latif, a senior scientist at the Ayub Agriculture Research Institute in Faisalabad, a government body focused on vegetable research, agreed that increased supply had driven prices down. “Last year, farmers did not receive fair prices for wheat, so this year they turned to alternative crops, with vegetables at the top of the list,” said Latif.

Data from the Punjab Agriculture Department shows that this year, wheat was cultivated on 1.191 million fewer acres. There was also a decrease in the cultivation of gram and green fodder during the Rabi season. In contrast, vegetable cultivation saw significant growth, with the area under peas increasing by 1.18 million acres (64 percent) and potatoes by 1.18 million acres (15 percent). Similarly, onion cultivation rose by 10,800 acres (15 percent).

Progressive farmer Aamir Hayat Bhandara pointed out that, because vegetables are perishable, their shelf life could be extended with modern processing, storage, and cold chain facilities. “This would eliminate the need to rush produce to the market. Dehydrated vegetables are common worldwide as they remain fresh longer, but unfortunately, they are not popular among local consumers,” said Bhandara.