Floriculture export can earn huge revenues

Photo: Sean Kenney

ISLAMABAD (APP) - Pakistan has a lot of potential to develop floriculture, but lack of attention by the concerned authorities has prevented growth in this sector, a leading researcher and exporter said on Monday.

"The market demand of floriculture products is growing fast. The worldwide trade with more than 10 countries dominating the business. There is a constant increase in its acreage under various flower crops" said by Chief Executive Officer Harvest Tradings Ahmad Jawad in a statement issued here Monday.

Ahmad Jawad said that Pakistan is a country of small farming households, where floriculture is the best option to enhance the income for the poor.

"We have favorable climate and cheap labour for growing these crops. They need much less land and water for production than other crops," he said.

Net profit against the investment is much higher for these crops compared with other conventional crops, he said. The products are in high demand all over the world, he added.

Read full article here: The Nation

Pakistan and Russia to establish Horticulture Business Forum

Pakistan and Russia will establish Pak-Russia Horticulture Business Forum to cooperate horticulture trade and technical assistance between two countries which will provide stalls in exhibition free of cost, agriculture technology, warehouses, cold storages, exchange of delegation and establishment of offices in major cities of Russia.

After the arriving from representing the high level delegation to Russia, Abdul Wahid Patron in Chief of Pakistan Fruit and vegetables Exporters and Importers and merchant Association has said that the Russia is ready to help in stabilising Pakistan economy, he stated that during the visit they met with the ministry of commerce, ministry of finance, Russian chamber of commerce, high officials of different provinces and business associations.

Helping threatened plants survive

Karachi: The University of Karachi Centre for Plant Conservation of the Department of Botany is working to save the country’s rare plant species, which are on the brink of extinction and could soon disappear from the planet. The centre’s director Dr Anjum Perveen said, “We are trying to protect the endangered plant species, which are only present in Pakistan. We are using the plant tissue culture technique through which several plants of a particular plant can be reproduced from a single tissue of the parent plant.”

She added that due to the topographical variation of a country, many different species of plants including wild and flowering species are present in the country. However due to loss of habitat, human disturbance and deforestation, many plants species are facing the threat of extinction. It is estimated that the habitat destruction from human activity is the primary cause of risk for 83 percent of the endangered plant species.

Read complete article by Sarwat Ghulam Rasool at the Daily Times site>