Pakistan's first-ever ginger harvest inaugurated in Chakwal

CHAKWAL: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, Senator Dr Sania Nishtar on Sunday inaugurated Pakistan’s first-ever ginger cultivation during the Ginger Harvest Workshop held in Balkasar area of Chakwal.

According to a report by state-owned news agency, this was the first ginger harvest piloted in Pakistan. The crop was grown in eleven months.

Being an essential ingredient of Pakistani cuisine, ginger is high in demand, but unfortunately it is not grown here, and all the crop is imported to meet domestic needs.

At the event, participants learnt from experts about the sustainable production and management of ginger and how to properly harvest this crop.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Sania said: “Ginger can emerge as a major crop and can be a game-changer for the farming community. Agriculture is profoundly linked to poverty alleviation in Pakistan.

“Government, private sector, research institutions, innovators and farmers can work together to build synergies and develop agri-value chains. This will lead to greater impact for poverty alleviation, livelihoods creation, economic growth and foreign trade boosting.”

Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali, Chairman Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), Muhammad Najeebullah, Director Vegetable Research Institute, Faisalabad and other experts were also present on the occasion.

After knowledge-sharing, all participants went to the field for the formal inauguration and demonstrations. Chairman PAC briefed Dr. Sania on the success of ginger cultivation project and its potential to boost Pakistan’s farming sector.

“This variety of ginger has been successfully grown and field tested and can yield up to approximately 8 to 10 tonnes per acre in this area” he said.