To cut the import bill of potato seed, the establishment of tissue culture laboratories is important in the country. This was stated by Moazzam Ghurki, President, Pakistan China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCJCCI) during a think tank session held at PCJCCI Secretariat on Wednesday. The import of potato seed increases production costs by 35-40% which results in a hike of its market price. Moazzam further said that in FY22, despite the great loss of potato crops due to flood havoc in the country, potato yield soared to 7.937 million tonnes from 5.873 million tonnes in FY21.  The main reason is that floods did not hit the Punjab province, the hub of potato production. Regardless of this high yield, the import of potato seed is worrisome. The Senior Vice President of PCJCCI, Fang Yulong commented that Pak-Chinese enterprises are serious about coping with the issue of potato seed imports.

Chinese investors are keen to invest in Pakistan concerning potatoes in multiple aspects, i.e., local seed production, tissue culture, mechanized harvesting, pest and disease control, value addition, etc. The Vice President of PCJCCI, Hamza Khalid also emphasized the need for local initiatives to combat all the issues Pakistan is facing to produce quality potato yield and exports by using the indigenous sources. “Then we might be able to export potatoes to other countries. We have a huge potential for countries that have smaller land areas or don’t produce much of their own potatoes,” he said. The Secretary-General of PCJCCI, Salahuddin Hanif discussed the importance of low-cost quality potato seed for farmers.  He said that a low production rate of potatoes will result in good profits from both local and international markets. A boost in exports will also increase the revenue generation for prosperous Pakistan.

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