Staff Reporter Islamabad
After a successful pilot project at 100 acres under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the next phase of Chilli farming will be ready for launch with upcoming sowing.
Referring to an article published by China Economic Net, Chairman CPEC Authority
Lt Gen (Retd) Asim Saleem Bajwa on Sunday in a tweet said, the Chilli farming could spread over an area of 5000 acres in various regions of the country.
According to the article of China Economic Net, Pakistan has ideal conditions for Chilli/Pepper (Capsicum Annum L.) cultivation.
Pakistan is amongst the top ten chilli producing nations which enjoy a combination of warm, humid yet dry weather and a well-drained sandy loam with rich organic content.
However, Pakistan’s chilli production has been lower than the world average for the same period since 2015.
From FY2014–15 to FY2017-18, the average annual production of chilli in Pakistan was around 143,428 tons, but it plummeted to 126,943 tons in FY2018-19, accounting for 85.7% its peak in FY2017-18 of 148,114 tons.
In Pakistan, Sindh province is the major producer of chilli followed by Punjab and Balochistan.
The major constraints in production faced by chilli farmers here are lack of modern irrigation system, imbalance use of fertilizer and pesticide, and lack of training.
“In Pakistan old methods of 1970s, 1960s or 1980s are adopted by farmers.
Now Pakistan has to adopt modern technology to increase its production,” recommended Zahid Gishkori, a Special Investigative Correspondent in Pakistan.
What is worse, growers are troubled by some marketing issues, including unreasonable commission agent charges, improper weighing, price fluctuations and lack of proper storage facilities.
