ISLAMABAD, Jul. 3 (INP): China’s LTEC International Agriculture Development Co., Ltd. to collaborate with Pakistani farmers for cultivating chili across 10,000 acres of land for its export to China. The company, renowned for supplying high quality hybrid chili seed, has successfully harvested over 3 tons of dried red chili per acre in June across various regions of Pakistan including Sindh, central and southern Punjab. Dr. Muhammad Adnan, Executive Manager LTEC International Agriculture Development Co., Ltd. told Gwadar Pro that the yield of all contract farmers would be exported to China.  This year more than 10,000 acres are under contract with them. He said they do a contract with local farmers, provide them with technical advisory service from nursery till harvesting/drying, then at the end they buy back chili from farmers on premium price. 

He said their contract farmers are from all over Pakistan, particularly in Sindh, the central and south Punjab.  They have model farms in all major chili growing areas where they hold training sessions for local farmers. Last month, their training was held at our model farms in Multan, Lodhran, Jalalpur, Vehari, Jampur and Layyah. LTEC training held at a model farm in Qasba Marral, Multan for local farmers. The objective was to showcase their 90+ chili trial varieties to farmers and to train farmers about effective chili picking and drying in order to get quality chili. 

They were also guided to manage various diseases in the field, he said. Adnan highlighted that their main objective is to increase chili acreage and produce quality chili for export because Pakistan is not self-sufficient in dry chili.  So increasing its cultivation is their main objective in Pakistan. In future along with exports, their focus is also to establish a food industry in Pakistan related to chili products.  “We have directly supervised 3,000 acres and successfully cultivated 16,000 acres of chili in Pakistan under our contract till now (2020-2024). 

Out of which 10,000 acre contracts are for this year (2024) thus meeting the needs of chilis in the Chinese market and making Pakistan self-sufficient in chili production,” he said. Director, LTEC International Agriculture Development Co., Ltd. Chen Liyang said the Chinese Chili Contract Farming Project in Pakistan aims to improve agricultural practices and foster economic growth. Through this initiative, they provide high-quality hybrid chili seeds, state-of-the-art production technology, and a supportive buyback program at competitive prices.  Chen Liyang emphasized the comprehensive support empowers farmers to concentrate on crop production while ensuring sustainability through balanced fertilizer application and eco-friendly farming techniques. 

He said their efforts have yielded significant results, with successful chili cultivation spanning thousands of acres in Pakistan.  “We are steadfast in our mission to make Pakistan a self-reliant producer of chili and to bolster foreign reserves through strategic export opportunities.  We are committed to driving agricultural innovation, fostering sustainable development, and contributing to the economic prosperity of Pakistan.”

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China