File Photo
"Unquestionably hybrid rice is a model of China-Pakistan agricultural cooperation in Sindh Province," Mr. Zhou Xusheng, Director of Pakistan Business Department, Wuhan Qingfa Hesheng Seed Co., Ltd. a Chinese developer and provider of hybrid seeds, told the reporter of China Economic Net (CEN).
Amidst global headwinds, Pakistani rice is facing a series of challenges. Chela Ram Kewlani, President of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP), indicated that during the first seven months of the FY 2022/23, the export value of Pakistani rice decreased by 15.82% year-on-year to USD 1.08 billion, mainly due to flood damage to paddy fields in Sindh, where the local rice production has been reduced by 40%.
Qingfa Hesheng has been providing hybrid seeds of rice, canola and vegetables to Pakistan for nearly twenty years, as well as training more than 300 local agricultural personnel. In particular, it registered the first hybrid rice variety -QY0413 in the history of Pakistan.
“It may take three years for the rice export, which is an important means for Pakistan to earn foreign exchange, to recover,” Zhou noted, “however, we have prepared for such situations. First, the stress resistance of crop varieties should be improved. Second, seed production can be carried out separately in Pakistan and China, spreading risk in the face of extreme weather. Currently, our test fields are located in Lahore, Chiniot, Shikarpur, and Golarchi.”
Comment Now