Daily Times

Professor Dr Shi of Nanjing Agricultural University in China has said that Pakistan enjoys rich potential to enhance Banana production, particularly under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Gwadar Pro on Wednesday quoted Dr Shi as having said that the banana plantation area in Sindh accounts for 87% of Pakistan’s total area. There is large scope of enhanced production. However, he noted that many farmers abuse chemicals to control pests and diseases there. Reviewing his research conducted with a Pakistani student Rafey Waseem, Dr Shi believes that Pakistan’s adoption of SAP is crucial. “Pakistani students have a solid foundation in economics and management who have a deep understanding of Pakistan’s local banana farms and farmers. Sustainability is one of the key areas that they would like to explore since they think that local growers can receive more benefits from this study,” Shi said.

“SAP can be divided into the following categories: land management, fertilizer management, pesticide management, crop management, harvest management, post-harvest and sales. Pakistan needs to continue to strengthen in these areas,” Shi said. “Pakistan has mastered traditional technologies such as direct return to the field after mechanical crushing, utilization of banana stalk feed, and fermentation to produce biogas,” he said adding, “Pakistan’s banana stalks are rich in resources, but Pakistan is inadequate for its recycling. In real life, there are many factors that limit the recovery of banana stalk resources, such as transportation technology, storage technology, and post-processing technology.”

To change this situation, the government still has a lot of work to do. Dr. Shi suggested Pakistani government to stimulate investment and strengthen education in SAP. He also believes that CPEC will play an important role in SAP Banana Planting. He said that under CPEC, China can provide support in several respects, such as transportation construction, agriculture-related infrastructure, and related guidance.