Potato News from Pakistan

In a significant move towards strengthening economic ties between Pakistan and China, leading enterprises from both countries, Henan Ruzhou Ideal Starch and KASB Corporation of Pakistan signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to construct a state-ofthe- art potato starch plant in Pakistan.

Pakistan's Variety Evaluation Committee (VEC) has recommended repeat one-season trials for four table potato varieties - Cristina, GR-t33-13-2 (SANDRA), Rosegarden, and Primnsk - at research stations in Abbottabad and Islamabad.

PR&P, PARC, Pakistan and the Republic of Korea are collaborating on Technical Cooperation Projects (TCP), notably focusing on seed potato production

Pakistan and Republic of Korea are working jointly on seed potato production through Aeroponics technology and 2nd generation crop is ready to harvest at PARC-National Agricultural Research Centre Islamabad.

China is a potentially big market for Pakistani potato, because the price of potato in China is higher, especially from January to April every year.

The 'Capacity building of small-scale potato growers in Punjab, Pakistan' project – led by CABI and funded by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) – is already ‘sowing the seeds’ of success.

Despite a lack of an efficient seed supply system, new varieties of seeds, and technical capacity of farmers as well as inadequate resources for seed systems, Pakistan has harvested a record potato crop

The University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) scientists found that dried potato can successfully be used as a cheaper energy source in animal feed formulation and can be added up to 30 percent in ruminant concentrate without any negative effect

Opening ceremonies of KOPIA Pakistan Centre and Aeroponic Potato Seed Production System was held at NARC Islamabad.

Pakistan is poised to become self-sufficient in potato seed by mid-2022. The country is going to start producing high-quality, virus-free, third-generation potato seed.

Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) has provided over 50,000 potato tubers to Agriculture Department of Gilgit Baltistan (Northern Areas) in order to promote disease free potato production.

The government of Pakistan is committed to expedite the establishment of aPotato Development Council under the forthcoming Strategic Trade Policy Framework (STPF), revealed Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood.

The Government of Pakistan has set a target to produce about 4.871 million potatoes and 2.220 million tons of onions during Rabi Season 2020-21 in order to fulfill the domestic requirements as well as for export.

Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) will Produce Two Million Disease-Resistant Potato Potato Tubers Using Tissue Culture Technology

The Variety Evaluation Committee (VEC) of Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) has recommended 11 new potato varieties for commercial cultivation in Pakistan.

China is keen on building stronger socio-economic ties with Pakistan and is interested in importing more from the country, said Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing, including potatoes

There have been rumors that the government of Pakistan banned potato export or levied duties on the export of potatoes. The Ministry of National Food Security & Research condemned these rumors and stated they are entirely false and fictitious.

PepsiCo plans to invest US$1 billion in Pakistan over the next five years, the PepsiCo Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Asia, Middle East and North Africa (AMENA) Mike Spanos told Prime Minister Imran Khan in a meeting held in Islamabad late last month.