CPEC can help banana planting in Sindh for achieving sustainability

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) can supplement an important role in banana production in Sindh province through Sustainable Agricultural Practices (SAP), a Chinese Agri expert revealed.

Professor Shi, who is supervising research on Pakistani students at Nanjing Agricultural University in China, suggested that under the CPEC, China can provide support in several respects, such as transportation construction, agriculture-related infrastructure, and related guidance. 

Meanwhile, Pakistan can transport banana stalk resources to China by using Chinese technology for processing. 

Rafay Wasim is a graduate student who has studied sustainable agricultural practices (SAP) of banana planting in Sindh province. He has worked with Professor Shi on this research.

According to Dr Shi, the banana plantation area in Sindh accounts for 87% of Pakistan's total area and many farmers use chemicals extensively to control pests and diseases prevention. 

Reviewing the research conducted with Rafey, Dr Shi believed that adoption of SAP for Pakistani growers was crucial.

“Pakistani students have a solid foundation in economics and management with a deep understanding of Pakistan's local banana farms and farmers. Sustainability is one of the key areas that they need to explore so that local growers can earn more benefits from this study," Dr Shi remarked. 

"SAP can be divided into the categories of land management, fertilizer management, pesticide management, crop management, harvest management, post-harvest and sales. Pakistan needs to continue to strengthen in these areas,” he added.

“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,” he continued.

To change this situation, the government still has a lot of work to do, Dr Shi suggested, advising the Pakistan government to stimulate investment and strengthen education in SAP.