Pakistan, Republic of Korea working jointly on seed potato production: Ali.

Pakistan Agricultural Research Council and Korean Program on International Agriculture held a Media briefing on 'Progress and Future Plan for Seed Potato Production through Aeroponics technology': a joint Project between KOPIA and PARC at NARC Islamabad.

Pakistan and Republic of Korea are working jointly on seed potato production through Aeroponics technology and 2nd crop is ready to harvest at PARC-National Agricultural Research Centre Islamabad. PARC and KOPIA are collaborating on a project for Aeroponic Potato Seed Production System, with the goal of achieving higher productivity, reducing post-harvest losses, promoting farm-level processing, developing human resources, and creating significant job opportunities.

Potato is one of major cash crop of the country and during 2022 it was cultivated on an area 0f 313,000 ha with total production of 7937,000 tones. Potato seed in Pakistan is mainly imported from Holland, which is not only expensive but also of the fifth generation or above.

Pakistan's annual import of potato seed is around 12,000 to 15,000 tons, which costs around Rs. 2-3 billion. The local production of seed through this technology will help minimize this import bill.

During the event, Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali, Chairman PARC, expressed gratitude towards the Korean government and KOPIA team for their efforts in establishing Aeroponic technology for potato seed production at NARC Islamabad.

Dr. Ali emphasized the significance of potatoes as a vital crop globally and the need for research initiatives to promote indigenous seed production in Pakistan, thereby reducing heavy imports. He also mentioned that over 30% of the seed...