ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) has produced climate-resilient varieties of avocado to boost the fruit’s yield in the country, according to WealthPK.
“The council has included avocado plantations in its fruit crops programme,” according to Dr. Riyaz Alam, the programme’s head. “After successfully producing 12 suitable avocado varieties through grafting according to the climatic conditions of the region, the PARC plans to grow avocadoes at commercial scale,” Dr. Alam said.
Avocado is known as green gold because of its high demand and price worldwide. Latin American countries of Peru, Mexico and California state of the United States are the largest producers of the fruit.
Avocado plants can grow in hot and humid weather with adequate water supply and proper drainage systems. An avocado tree can grow to be as large as a mango tree. Avocado trees require plenty of space between them.
“Hass and Lula grafted avocado tree cultivars have been successfully experimented in Sargodha, Lahore, Sukkur and Charsadda. Hass is the export variety,” according to Dr. Alam.
“Avocado has also been recommended for plantation in Pakistan’s subtropical zones like Potohar and Hazara regions. As a nutrient-dense and novel fruit, avocado has the potential to increase the impoverished farmers’ incomes in these regions.”
According to Alam, the fruit has a lot of export potential because it contains a lot of proteins, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin C, 11 minerals, monounsaturated fat, low carbohydrate and low sodium. “It has lower cost of cultivation than other crops but a higher rate of return. An avocado tree’s life is more than 50 years,” said Dr. Alam.
The PARC scientist said, “Because no concerted efforts have been made to boost avocado production for export, the local farmers do not turn to growing the fruit.”
“The government can select the regions and train farmers there to help them grow and expand avocado plantations,” he said, and recommended that the government should establish avocado sorting, packing and storing facilities that meet export criteria.
The PARC scientist told WealthPK that Pakistan can earn healthy foreign exchange by promoting avocado cultivation at commercial scale as the fruit is in great demand worldwide.
PARC “Drip irrigation is ideal in areas, which face water shortage, to meet the water needs of the fruit. Avocado plantation has the potential to enhance incomes of farmers.”
-INP
