By Muhammad Asad Tahir Bhawana ISLAMABAD, June 06 (INP-WealthPK): Pakistan ranks fifth on the list of countries producing dates, making it one of the world's largest producers of sweet fruit. Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) estimates Pakistan's share of the world's date production at 7%. Balochistan province is the largest producer of dates in Pakistan. Around 53% of dates produced annually in Pakistan come from the Punjgur and Turbat districts of Balochistan. The area under date cultivation spreads over 20,000 hectares, and date is the main cash crop for 70% of the local population. Under the UAE-Pakistan Assistance Program (PAP), the embassy of the UAE has announced an investment of $6.5 million for the commercial production of dates at a processing factory in Punjgur. The UAE embassy said commercial production at the Punjgur factory has been started. The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development provides financial assistance for this project. Balochistan is famous for producing different varieties of dates. However, the lack of facilities such as those for processing and cold storage, makes it difficult for the farmers to avail the true potential of commercial production. The UAE PAP will help the province increase production and help the farmers store dates for a longer period without any wastage. According to the Balochistan Board of Investment and Trade (BBoIT) report, Balochistan produced around 225,000 tonnes of dates over an area of 42,000 hectares last year. Owing to the addition of Balochistan, Pakistan became the top exporter of dates to Japan in 2020. Aseel, Dhakki, Begum Jangi, Rabai, and Muzafati are famous types of dates with huge demand. Among them, Muzafati is the indigenous one, and most of its production is carried out in Punjgur. It is the most demanded date nationally and internationally due to its great taste and nutritional benefits. Sindh province is the second-largest producer of dates in Pakistan. Sindh contributes around 0.28 million to 0.30 million tonnes of Pakistan's total estimated production of 0.55 to 0.65 million tonnes. About 85% of Sindh's production comes from the Khairpur district. Despite as the fifth largest producer of dates, Pakistan still cannot garnish its real potential. Many farmers complain that they have no access to advanced processing facilities. They use traditional methods, which cause a lot of wastage. Moreover, socioeconomic conditions and poor production practices are variables affecting the yield and production of dates. The current rise of global warming is posing a threat to the production of dates. The world is facing food shortages due to many reasons. It is necessary to protect and secure different types of food for consumers. Date is a fruit that is widely used and can easily be preserved. To boost its production, Pakistan needs proper farm management and processing of dates. Furthermore, the government should establish a laboratory for plant tissue culture or facilitate such an initiative through a public-private partnership. Lastly, it has been proven that by replacing old gardens with new, improved cultivars and facilitating the pollination of these newly established gardens, the yield of dates can be increased manifold.