The 15th edition of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences Agriculture Policy Debate was held, focusing on the topic of “Vegetable Seed Production and Supply Chain”. Speakers underlined the prospects of enhancing the export of vegetables to China. Speakers and participants from Pakistan shared their views on the current situation, issues and solutions of vegetable seeds in Pakistan.
Participants from China also introduced the current situation and development trend of China’s vegetable industry, and mentioned that in future Pakistan has potential to export vegetables to China. Gu Wenliang, Agricultural Commissioner of Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, said that Pakistan has potential to export vegetables to China.
In past decades, the vegetable industry of China has made great progress. Last year, China exported 11 million tons of vegetables, worth 15 billion dollars. Top three vegetable import countries are India, USA and Vietnam. Gu further mentioned at the occasion that vegetable production in China has achieved rapid development in new varieties breeding, facility cultivation, pollution-free production, and industrialization.
In addition, technologies such as diseases and pests control, soilless cultivation, and water-saving irrigation have also made significant progress. Also, the Chinese government is strengthening vegetable quality certification systems for green vegetables and we avoid highly toxic pesticides in production.
Muhammad Najeebulaah, Chief Scientist of Vegetable Research Institute, Faisalabad, pointed out that major vegetable area in Pakistan is under hybrid seed. More than 80 percent of our seed requirement is met through imports. Only one seed company ‘Yuksel Seed Asia’ is producing hybrid seeds through proper systems.