Arooj Zulfiqar

The Pakistan-China red chili project is a promising initiative that has the potential to uplift Pakistan's agriculture sector, said a renowned agricultural expert. “Although Pakistan is one of the top 10 producers of chili in the world, over time its output and exports have decreased,” Dr Nowsherwan, Senior Scientific Officer at the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), told WealthPK. “We used to export chili to about 66 countries, but sadly, we are losing this market,” he said.

Dr Nowsherwan said Pakistan and China have recently launched a joint project to cultivate and process high-quality red chili in Pakistan. This project has been initiated under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework, which aims to enhance regional connectivity and economic cooperation between the two countries. “The red chili project is expected to help uplift Pakistan's agriculture sector by increasing its production and improving its quality,” he said.

Dr Nowsherwan said that with China's expertise in agriculture and modern farming techniques, the project can help improve the quality and productivity of red chili in Pakistan. “This can generate significant economic benefits and improve the livelihoods of small farmers in rural areas,” he added.

Pakistan is an agricultural country, and agriculture is the backbone of its economy. However, this sector has been facing numerous challenges, such as low productivity, outdated farming practices, and lack of investment in research and development. As a result, Pakistan has been unable to fully exploit its agricultural potential, and its agriculture sector has been struggling to keep up with the demands of a growing population.

“The Pakistan-China red chili project is an important step towards addressing some of these challenges. Red chili is one of Pakistan's major cash crops, and its cultivation and processing can generate significant economic benefits,” he said. “With China's expertise in agriculture and modern farming techniques, this project can help improve the quality of Pakistan's red chili and increase its production. This, in turn, can help boost Pakistan's agricultural exports and enhance its competitiveness in the global market,” he said. Dr Nowsherwan said that due to its superior production and high disease resistance, Chinese chili is becoming a more popular crop among local farmers.

“Farmers are reluctant to plant local chilli since it is highly prone to disease, but Chinese varieties are resilient, simple to pick, and sold at a higher price directly to Chinese companies from farms, without any involvement of the middleman, making it highly popular among local farmers,” he said. Along with providing local farmers with cultivation technology, China is also working with Pakistani agronomists to advance the growth of the chilli industry by combining technology with the advantages of both Chinese and Pakistani chilli types.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk