PESHAWAR: Patron in Chief Pakistan Fruits and Vegetable Association (PFVA), Waheed Ahmad has stressed on the conversion of outdated farming practices with advanced production technologies by adopting the climate smart innovations to improve agriculture and horticulture produce in the country.
These views were expressed by him while speaking at National Dialogue on Agriculture Research organized with the objective of harnessing the agriculture potential to boost the economy of Pakistan.
Speaking as keynote speaker on the topic of High Value Horticulture, Novel Propagation Techniques and Innovative Management Studies, the PFVA chief observed that the adoption of advanced production technique was key to increasing our per acre yield and combating the threats posed by climatic changes to agriculture and horticulture sectors.
Waheed Ahmad shared that Pakistan’s share in global market of fresh fruits and vegetables was very nominal only 0.37 percent, contributing US dollar 850 million in the world market of US dollar 229 billion.
The country’s agriculture produce can be enhanced manifold by opting for new methods of farming and optimal utilization of available resources like higher yield from small area due to more number of trees, he reiterated.
He also suggested for promotion of high value horticulture and asked Department of Plant Protection Department (DPP) to devise SOPs for allowing progressive farmers and processors to import disease free plant material.
PFVA’s head also suggested government to install Model pilot irrigation projects in all districts for encouraging farmers to adopt sprinkle and drip irrigation practices to reduce water losses.
Local companies should be encouraged to make joint ventures with foreign enterprises to locally manufacture the materials, he added.
Government should facilitate small scaled farmers by providing loans and insurance of crop of national interest. Similarly organic farming practices be promoted to fetch the best return and originally certified fruits and vegetables should be introduced through which 400 percent increase in profitability of horticulture produce can be achieved, Waheed claimed.
The Patron in Chief PFVA demanded creation of a Research and Development Fund with a worth of Rs. 3 billion over a period of three years for the promotion of high value horticulture produce.
He recommended for upgrading of university curriculum of agriculture and horticulture disciplines to match to current advancement in the industry. Research projects in varsities should be aligned with industrial needs and the student be provided advanced hands on training to cater modern requirements of the industry. Pakistan spends huge foreign exchange in 2021 on the import of garlic to the tune of US dollar 68.7 million and ginger to the tune of US dollar 112 million, he added.
Indigenous production of these products needs to be focused to safeguard the hard earned foreign exchange, he continued.
Apprising the participants about Horticulture Vision 2030, Chairman PFVA said its goals is to increase country export of fresh fruits and vegetable to US dollar one billion in two years, US dollar 2.5 billion in five years and US dollar six billion in ten years.
It also aims at creating 1.3 million direct jobs in five years and three million in ten years. The PFVA is striving hard to achieve its goals set in Horticulture Vision 2030 to make our country as prosperous, he concluded.