Horticulture sector: PFVA proposes Rs3bn allocation for R&D in FY24 budget

KARACHI: Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association (PFVA) has suggested allocation of fund of Rs 3 billion in the next budget for the Research & Development (R&D) in the horticulture sector as the lack of R&D is posing serious threat to Pakistan’s food security.

Waheed Ahmed, the Patron-in-Chief of PFVA, in a presentation, emphasized on the need for the agricultural universities and research institutes to form a board comprising the PFVA, Federal Ministry of National Food Security and Provincial Ministries of Agriculture to develop new varieties of fruits and find remedies for various diseases in the existing crop in Pakistan. “The effects of climate changes, water scarcity, difficulties in acquiring capital for farmers, issues in adopting high value horticulture and lack of technology and research are the major challenges of the horticulture sector,” he maintained.

He said Pakistan is at the top of the agricultural regions being the most affected by climate change, where agricultural production is likely to decrease by 50 percent by 2025 in case of a three percent increase in global temperature. Pakistan already has 16 to 62 percent less per hectare production of fruits than the leading countries.

Waheed said there is a dire need to replace outdated farming and horticultural practices with modern methods including insect-resistant planting materials and modern nurseries, modern climate change management methods including recycling of resources at the farm level and adopting methods for water efficient use including drip irrigation, etc. He suggested that Pakistan has to focus on high value crops to enhance horticulture exports. The market of citrus fruits in the world is worth $300 billion, of which Pakistan’s share is $20 million. Similarly, in the export of value-added products of horticulture, Pakistan is also behind with a ratio of three percent, while 19 percent is value-addition is done in the Philippines, 29 percent in Vietnam, 19 percent in China, 18 percent in Morocco, 14 percent in Indonesia and 9 percent in Bangladesh, he mentioned.

In order to increase fruit exports, Pakistan should focus on value-added crops rather than quantity, including seedless Kinnow, production of table grade varieties of dates, production of oranges for juice, and tomatoes, production of paste-specific tomatoes, ginger, saffron, blemish-free bananas, production of starchy potatoes, varieties of cherries and new varieties of onions, he suggested.

He also urged the government to facilitate the import of new disease-free plants and plant material for high-value agriculture. Waheed said that 60 percent of wasted water can be saved by using drip and sprinklers. For this it is necessary to encourage innovative practices at the government level by subsidizing them, enabling local production of drip and sprinklers and setting up model projects in every district.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023