FAISALABAD, Sept 13: Pakistan’s share of the horticultural sector in global production and export has declined gradually, says Dr Mubarak Ali, the Punjab Agricultural Research Board (PRAB) chief executive officer.Talking to scientists of the University of Agriculture in Faisalabad (UAF) at a two-day workshop on ‘Production of disease-free citrus nursery plant’, Dr Ali said that Pakistan used 5 per cent of the cropped area for horticulture, but other countries like Taiwan, Korea and Japan used their 35 to 50 per cent of land to grow flora. The lack of interest in horticultural activities deprived rural areas of opportunities to generate funds.

UAF’s institute of horticultural sciences organised the workshop in collaboration with the Science and Technology Ministry.

He said the horticulture sector provided ample income to farmers, and generated additional jobs besides enhancing food security.

Dr Ali, highlighting the role of the PARB, said the provincial government had agreed to channel all research funds in the province through the board to boost research activities in the province and it had earmarked Rs700 million for the purpose.

UAF’s Dr Iftikhar Ahmad said that citrus was the mostly grown fruit in the country and about 95 per cent of the total citrus production was from central Punjab. He added that the area and production of fruits in general, and citrus in particular, had been expanding since early 1960s due to increasing demand in domestic and foreign markets. He said the demand for fresh fruit in neighboring countries offered lucrative returns, which had helped the sustained growth of fruit crops.

Workshop’s organiser Dr Mumtaz Khan said they were trying to develop a sustainable citrus nursery production system of clean material and to strengthening the country’s citric industry. — Staff Correspondent