Six model farms under Pakistan-China Red Chilli Contract Farming Project are achieving a bumper harvest in southern Punjab and northern Sindh, with an estimated yield of 700 tons of dried chillies.
According to China Machinery Engineering Corporation’s (CMEC) agricultural project leader in Pakistan Dai Bao, crops in the six model farms with a total area of nearly 300 acres began bearing fruit in May.
“When chillies are naturally dried, we’ll ship them to China for further processing,” he said.
Compared with last year, the size of planting area has increased six times, extending from Lahore to other parts of Punjab and Sindh. “The total output also increased sevenfold, and the yield per unit area increased by more than 30%,” Dai shared with a CEN reporter.
More than 200 local technicians were trained this planting season and nearly 1,000 jobs were created, he added.
Based on planting, they will further develop downstream deep-processing industries and create more employment opportunities for the locals in the future.
As China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has entered into a stage of enrichment and expansion since 2020, agricultural exchanges and cooperation have become the focus for both China and Pakistan.
The chilli contract farming project was launched with joint efforts of the Chinese embassy in Pakistan, Pakistan’s Ministry of National Food Security and Research and companies from both countries, including CMEC, China, Sichuan Litong Food Group, China, Fatima Group, Pakistan, and so on.
The project is also designed to modernise the agriculture sector in Pakistan, including providing new seeds to enhance crop yield, providing skill development to farmers as well as boosting the export of agricultural products from Pakistan to other countries.
The article originally appeared on the China Economic Net
Published in The Express Tribune, May 28th, 2022.
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