Korea to provide seed potato to Pakistan for producing virus-free seed

ISLAMABAD (APP): The Republic of Korea under its Technical Cooperation Projects (TCP) would provide 160,000 tons of certified seed potatoes to Pakistan during five years.

The initiative maiming at to ensure the availability of virus-free seeds potatoes and contributing significantly to the agricultural sector development, said Chairman Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) Dr Ghulam Muhammad Ali.

Talking to APP here on Sunday, he said that four aeroponics greenhouses, 32 screenhouses and supplying a cold store and 100 KW solar systems to meet goals would also be established.

The PARC) in collaboration with Korean Program on International Agriculture (KOPIA) was working on aeroponic technology, which will transform Pakistan’s potato production, Chairman Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) Dr Ghulam Muhammad Ali added.

PARC-KOPIA were also working for achieving self-sufficiency in potato seeds, which would reduce the reliance on imported seeds.

He further informed that only  2% of Pakistan’s potato seed requirement was being fulfilled locally and we relied on importing 98% of its seed demand.

With the implementation of this cutting-edge facility, Pakistan is poised to achieve self-sufficiency in potato seed production, he added. Dr Ali said that the aeroponic technology, which can yield 50 to 60 potato seeds per plant compared to just five from conventional methods.

Pakistan currently imports 15,000 to 20,000 tonnes of potato seeds yearly due to low-quality local seeds, straining farmers who can’t afford better options and resulting in lower yields, he added.

He said that projects worth over $8 million for livestock and smart farming set to launch in 2025, which would help to transform local agriculture and livestock sectors.