Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Chairman China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority, Lt. Gen (retd) Asim Saleem Bajwa on Sunday said the pilot project of Chilli farms in the country had been completed with cooperation of the Chinese agricultural experts.
“Pilot project of Chilli Farm with100 acres is completed,” he said in his tweet, adding that in the next phase, as many as 3000 acres of land would be brought under chili cultivation.
He said the Pak-China Condiment alliance had been formed with the Chinese partners CMEC and Sichuan Litong Food Group.Asim said this project would also help boosting exports of spices from the country.
He said this project would enhance yield, improve seed quality, skill development, farm labour, and processing. According to official sources the project chili farming is expected to produce more than 8,000 tons of dried chilies with a net income of more than 100,000 rupees per acre for local farmers.
Based on this, it will further develop downstream deep processing industries and create more employment opportunities.
The sources added that in the first phase of Chili Contract Farming Project, China-Pakistan Agricultural Cooperation Pilot Zone is to be set up in five years, while in its Phase II, it is expected to grow 30,000 acres of chilli and build pigment extracting plant, with an industrial output value of US $ 200 million.
While in the third phase, a China-Pakistan food industrial park would be established in 5 to 10 years, to promote the condiment industry in both countries.
As per agricultural cooperation under the mega project of CPEC, a plan of 20 projects is being implemented to modernize the agriculture sector in Pakistan, including new seeds to increase the crop yield, upgrading of irrigation system, promotion of agri-based industry for value addition and setting up global chain network.
