Pakistan’s First Ever Ginger Harvest Inaugurated in Chakwal

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, Dr. Sania Nishtar, was the chief guest at the Ginger Harvest Workshop, organized by Agrionics Farms, to inaugurate the first-ever ginger cultivation in the Balkasar area of Chakwal.

This was the first ginger harvest piloted in Pakistan. The crop was grown in eleven months. Being an essential ingredient of Pakistani cuisine, ginger has a high demand. Unfortunately, ginger is not grown natively and is imported to meet domestic needs.

At the event, participants learned from experts about the sustainable production, management of ginger, and properly harvesting the crop.

Speaking at 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.”

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

Participants were provided with information on successfully growing and harvesting ginger in the country. Experts presented research-based information about the agricultural benefits of growing ginger locally. After knowledge-sharing, all participants went to the field for the formal inauguration and demonstrations.

Chairman PAC briefed Dr. Sania on the success of the 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.

Other experts shared that Pakistan’s agriculture economy has started its journey towards self-sustainability. With help of drip irrigation, sprinklers, and shading fabric, it was the first ginger farming project that turned out commercially successful.