Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: The 15th episode of Pakistan Academy of Sciences Agriculture Policy Debate with the topic of “Vegetable Seed Production and Supply Chain” was held here, underlining the prospects of enhancing vegetables’ export to China.
According to a reports, speakers and discussants from Pakistan on the occasion shared their views on the current situation, issues and solutions of vegetable seeds in Pakistan.
Participants from China also introduced the current situation and development trend of China’s vegetable industry, and mentioned that in the future Pakistan has potential to export vegetables to China. Gu Wenliang, Agricultural Commissioner of Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, said that in the future Pakistan has potential to export vegetables to China. In past decades, the vegetable industry of China has made great progress.
Last year, China has exported 11 million tons of vegetables, worth 15 billion dollars. Top three vegetable import countries are India, USA and Vietnam.
Gu further mentioned at the occasion that vegetable production in China has achieved rapid development in new varieties breeding, facility cultivation, pollution-free production, and industrialization. In addition, technologies such as diseases and pests control, soilless cultivation, and water-saving irrigation have also made significant progress. “We are breeding new varieties for different consumer groups, different seasons and different maturity. We have also developed high-quality and delicious, green and safe, healthy and nutritious vegetables. We have cultivated vegetables in different areas with climatic characteristics of different ecological regions. Chinese government is strengthening vegetable quality certification systems for green vegetables and we avoid highly toxic pesticides in production.
We have also developed deep food processing, storage capabilities and the value–addition of vegetable products which will elongate the whole industry.” Agriculture cooperation between two countries is encouraged.
Muhammad Najeebulaah, Chief Scientist of Vegetable Research Institute, Faisalabad pointed out that major vegetable area in Pakistan is under hybrid seed.
More than 80% of seed requirement is met through imports. Only one seed company ‘Yuksel Seed Asia’ is producing hybrid seed through proper system.
Additionally, limited quantity of vegetables OPV seed is being produced by government institutes and some private companies.
Issues including non-availability of infrastructure, expertise, storage units, specific site, unstable policies etc exist currently, and facilitating seed companies/ local producers, stable policies, relaxation of taxes are suggested. Aamir Mirza, former Country Head of Monsanto/Bayer introduced that Bayer, Syngenta and another American company started start-of-the-art seed production of corn in Pakistan.
All three companies have imported super elite genetics of corn in Pakistan. Global companies make investments if proprietary material and proprietary data is protected.
