Daily Times

Malik Allah Bakhsh, chief scientist Horticulture Department of Ayub Agriculture Research Institute (AARI), has said that papaya had not only sufficient resistance against various diseases like cancer, hepatitis, etc. but its production could also help farmers mitigate their financial constraints.

Addressing a one-day seminar on ‘Promotion of successful cultivation of papaya’, he said that papaya was a fruit of South American region which was introduced in Pakistan due to its extraordinary good effects on human health. He said that this fruit contained specific ingredients against cancer and hepatitis and other diseases due to which its cultivation was getting tremendous attraction among progressive farmers and they were earning Rs.1 million to Rs.1.5 million per acre from its production every year. He said that firstly the cultivation of papaya was introduced in coastal areas of Pakistan especially Thatta, Badin, Makran and Lasbela but later its cultivation was promoted in central Punjab districts including Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Lahore, Sheikhupura, Sahiwal and Okara where this commodity was cultivated over 10,000 acres of land.

He said that papaya was very rich in vitamin A, C and E as well as in mineral salts. This fruit contained more than 50 enzymes in abundance due to which consumption of papaya fruit had great effects on human health. He said that papaya contained natural ingredients which were very useful for many human diseases like cancer, hepatitis and various stomach problems. Considering its immense qualities and increasing market demand, the government was concentrating to promote cultivation of papaya in Pakistan especially in Sindh and Punjab; he said and urged the scientists and field staff of agriculture department to provide necessary guidance and training to the farming community to cultivate papaya at maximum space in their lands.

In this connection, AARI scientists were already using all available resources to promote papaya cultivation in Pakistan. However, other departments of agriculture sector should also contribute their active role in promotion of papaya cultivation, he added. Chief Scientist Department of Plant Diseases, Dr. Azhar Iqbal informed the participants about the government project on diagnosis and treatment of viral diseases of papaya and said that leaves and fruits of infected plants from the farmers’ fields were tested at the laboratory of Virology Section and the government was spending huge amount of Rs.20 million on this project.

Similarly, the farmers were also imparting technical training and guidance to control papaya diseases according to recommendations of agri scientists, he added. Senior Scientist Horticulture Department Muaz Aziz said that farmers had earned an additional income of more than Rs.150 million through cultivation high-value crops and fruits especially papaya in Pakistan.