The third latest aeroponic greenhouse for the production of virus-free seed potatoes has been established at National Agricultural Research Center (NARC). The greenhouse was developed in collaboration with the Korean Program on International Agricultural (KOPIA).
Minister for National Food Security and Research, Chaudhry Tariq Bashir Cheema, Ambassador of South Korea, Suh Sangpyo, Chairman, PARC Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali and Dr. Cho Gyoung-rae, Director, KOPIA Pakistan Center inaugurated the house. Addressing the ceremony, Tariq Basheer Cheema said the government was grateful to the Korean government for the transfer of the latest aeroponics technology to Pakistan and the training of scientists.
It is that potato is the fourth most important and cash-generating crop, but due to the lack of good quality seeds, it is facing problems like reduction in production, he said, adding that in Pakistan, potatoes are cultivated on an area of 300,000 hectares, while 20,000 tons of potato seeds are imported into Pakistan every year.
On this occasion, the Korean Ambassador said that Pakistan and Korea are promoting cooperation in the field of agriculture and the transfer of aeroponics technology to Pakistan through the Korean Program on International Agriculture is also a link in this chain.
Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali, Chairman of PARC, said that in collaboration with the Korean government technical cooperation flagship project, potato seed production through aeroponic technology, post-harvest reduction in aflatoxin in chili, and quality fodder production for livestock is being implemented successfully in the country.
In the greenhouse, 4500 plants have been shifted, and it has the capacity to grow 9200 plants. He further said that for self-sufficiency in potato seed in Pakistan, one more project has been approved by the Korean Government through which 840,000 tons of virus-free potato seed could be produced locally.
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