Flora model farms being established for export
oriented flowers industry
Islamabad—Flora model farms are being established in
various cities of the country with the support of PHDEB on around
1000 acres land to promote export oriented flowers industry aimed at
earning millions of dollars per annum by increasing export to UAE,
Saudi Arabia and European Union beside others.
Talking about projects being launched to promote floriculture,
Federal Commerce Minister, Makhdoom Amin Fahim said that Pakistan
Horticulture Development Export Board (PHDEB) had already been
established to achieve targets regarding promotion of flower
industry by launching pilot projects in various cities of the
country.
The area under floriculture cultivation is estimated to be around
1,000 acres as per earmarked by the Pakistan Horticulture
Development Export board, the Minister said.
Pakistan has export potential in the global markets like UAE, Saudi
Arabia and Russian Federation and European Union. In Pakistan
majority of flowers are produced in winter while Europe yields low
production in the same season due to snow. While most of religious
and traditional occasions are held in this period.
This is an excellent opportunity for Pakistan to promote
floriculture sector to fulfill the demand of European markets.
Giving details about it, he said that the PHDEB under the umbrella
of Ministry of Commerce had initiated a number of steps to develop
floriculture sector in the country. According to steps taken by the
PHDEB to develop floriculture, the Board has submitted a project
“establishment of floriculture common facility farm” to the planning
commission for funding as model farm of 32 hectors includes green
houses and pack houses, that project will be export oriented as role
model for floriculture. The PHDEB has already introduced the pilot
project of gladiolus cultivation to promote floriculture sector as
the Board is working on a project “Establishment of flora model farm
at Malti (Hyderabad), Sindh with the approval from the Export
Development Fund.
The Board also arranged exposure visits for the floriculture growers
of Balochistan to neighbouring country India. Regarding details of
the flower industry, the minister said Pakistan has potential to
develop flower industry as the best commercial cut-flowers are
roses, gladiolus tuberoses, marigold, orchids and lilium. The
industry of growing flowers and other ornamental crops are
concentrate around Karachi, Hyderabad, Lahore, Rawalpindi,
Islamabad, Multan, Faislabad and Quetta. The places such as Pattoki
near Lahore, Sahiwal in Sargodha district and locality in the
vicinity in Hyderabad are assumed important because of growing
sizeable area of flowers.—APP
