BEIJING, Aug. 9 (INP): Chinese enterprises are assisting Pakistani farmers in cultivating chilies and exporting the locally produced chilies to China, Gwadar Pro reported on Friday. Meanwhile, more Pakistani chili farmers are currently engaged in contract farming cooperation with China, In August, Wahid, a farmer in Pakistan's Pakpattan District, celebrated a bumper chili harvest. This marks the third year he has cultivated chilies using seeds and technology imported from China.  "My chilies are larger than those grown by others, and my neighbors are envious, Wahid proudly shared. He emphasized that the Chinese chili seed varieties are exceptional, and the planting techniques are more refined and efficient, ensuring a successful chili harvest.

This year, Sichuan Neijiang bonded warehouse has successively received two shipments totaling 332 tons of dried chilies under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Agricultural Cooperation Project.  The chilies were promptly processed, with one portion used for producing Sichuan composite condiments and the other for processing Pixian douban, a fermented chili bean paste widely used in Sichuan cuisine. This partnership exemplifies the flourishing agricultural cooperation between China and Pakistan.

Pepper is a traditional crop in Pakistan, but for a long time, its planting area has been scattered, and the seed quality and planting technology level need improvement.  In 2021, Sichuan Litong Food Group sent staff to Pakistan for investigation. The local favorable climate conditions and cost advantages prompted Litong to propose agricultural cooperation with Pakistani farmers. With high-quality chili seeds and advanced planting technology, the company has initiated trial planting in various regions of Pakistan.  It has established multiple planting bases in Hyderabad, Multan, Kasur, and other locations to validate the feasibility of the planting technology, industrial model, and economic benefits.

"Modern agricultural planting is no longer just 'physical labor', but also 'technical work'," said Zhao Jianhua, an expert of the project.  According to him, from chili seedling, farmland preparation, transplanting to field management, weeding, and fertilization, pest control, they provide full technical guidance to Pakistani farmers who have signed up for planting to ensure that chili yield and quality meet export standards. 

Under the contract farming model, the company buys back the harvested chilies, which not only promotes the quality of agricultural products but also protects the interests of local farmers. "We now have 120 Pakistani employees, more than 80% of whom have master’s degrees in agriculture-related fields, and the company is collaborating with local universities in Pakistan to nurture talent," said Zhao. This year, the project will also introduce Chinese agricultural machinery and equipment on a pilot basis to improve the level of mechanization in harvesting and sorting.  "To reduce the impact of storage and transportation on the quality of chili and promote the professional development of Pakistan's chili industry, we plan to complete a series of precursor operations such as cleaning, drying, and crushing in Pakistan in the future,” he said.

Since 2022, when Pakistan's chili planting agro-industry demonstration and promotion project was included in the first batch of CPEC agricultural projects, Pakistan has accelerated the pace of development in the chili industry.   They have built 30 plantations covering a total area of 16,000 acres and trained more than 1,500 agricultural technicians.  The yield per acre has increased by about 100,000 rupees, and the income has reached three times that of traditional crops.

The smooth export of the chili and the good prices at which they sell have motivated the Wahid family to work hard to cultivate higher quality chilies.  This year, several of their neighbors have joined them in growing a Chinese variety of chili and engaging in contract farming cooperation.

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