Arooj Zulfiqar

Pakistan and China have established a rose industry consortium to help tap the former’s huge potential in rose production and value addition, reports WealthPK. The development came at a rose products expo held in China recently.  Speaking on the occasion, Wang Zihai, Investment Counsellor to Pakistan, said the establishment of the consortium would further promote the socioeconomic cooperation between the two countries. He highlighted that Pakistan has one of the world’s high-quality rose-producing areas. He said the growers needed to be provided with incentives to enhance their production capacities.

Wang said that clusters of rose production had been established along the CPEC routes. He added the Pattoki rose cluster, when fully developed, would generate an estimated revenue of $24.21 million per year. The cluster development programme is expected to generate gross revenue of $2.96 million in the second year and $13.25 million in the fifth year, according to Cluster Development Based Agriculture Transformation Plan Vision-2025.

Meanwhile, Dr Iftikhar Ahmad, an associate professor at the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, told WealthPK that Pakistan was a growing market for floral products, particularly cut flowers, which were in high demand in the international market. “The market players have the potential to export cut flowers, but they need support from the government,” he said.

“The largest exporters of cut flowers are the Netherlands, Colombia and Kenya, and Pakistan can be part of this list with the government’s support,” he said. Iftikhar Ahmad suggested to boost exports, the government should provide growers with the latest equipment on lease and easy credit facility. However, he said the quality and quantity of products were not ensured, making it difficult to maintain a share in the international market. “By addressing this challenge and prioritising quality and quantity assurance, the industry can enhance its market share and build a reputation for reliable products in the international market,” he underscored.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk