Daily Times

Academia, industry and progressive farmers have started intensive efforts to find a market for agricultural products in Karachi to increase demand and export opportunities for agricultural products in the agro-based industry of this industrial hub of the country, while the stakeholders also agreed to increase the production of banana fiber and other by-products on a commercial basis for access to agricultural products in domestic and international markets.

According to a press release issued by the University’s spokesperson on Sunday, a high-level meeting of academicians, industrialists, progressive farmers and social activists was held under the chairmanship of Dr. Fateh Marri, vice chancellor of Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam.

The meeting discussed the upcoming Banana Festival 2023. Mohsin Iqbal, CEO of TECHSAEEN, briefed the meeting about the Banana Festival and proposed that the Festival should be organized in the first week of November at Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam.

The participants agreed on the venue and schedule and suggested that the festival commences with an inaugural session, followed by technical sessions covering various aspects of banana production, ranging from plant tissue culture to post-harvesting techniques.

The meeting was informed that the topics will include the utilization of banana products such as fiber, compost, liquid fertilizer and banana waste management. A field visit to MH Panhwar Farms near Tandojam was planned to provide stakeholders with a firsthand look at banana cultivation practices.

The vice chancellor Dr. Fateh Marri highlighted the importance of banana production and its export potential and said that it is the need of the hour that we propose projects for sustainable agriculture on a commercial basis for the development of the farming community and the economy, for the prosperity of the country.

He emphasized the need to increase the agro-based industry and agricultural value addition and appreciated the proposal of organizing the Banana Festival 2023 at Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam.

Suleman G. Abro, CEO of SAFCO, emphasized the necessity of developing Banana supply chain mechanisms and fostering broader collaboration between academia and industries to market banana byproducts. He also suggested forming Banana Enterprise groups in Sindh.