Scam or Success: Debunking G1 Garlic Myths

Ever heard of garlic being sold at Rs. 10,000 per kg in Pakistan? Well, the answer is yes and people have even willingly paid far more than that for a variety that has taken over every big and small corporate farm across the country.

G1 Garlic cultivar was developed by the country’s most prestigious research institute National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) which comes under the Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC). The rationale was that Pakistan imports 70 percent of its garlic demand, but this cultivar can save foreign reserves.

Researchers discovered it during their regular expeditions in the mountains around Battagram, Kashmir in 2007 and after ten years of breeding and agronomic perfection under Dr Humayun Khan, it was finally approved in 2019. Although Dr Humayun, unfortunately, died of Coronavirus the same year, he was awarded Sitara-e-Imtiaz in 2023 for his contribution in this regard.

Pakistan imported $102 million worth of garlic in 2020, so it made a lot of sense. Moreover, this variety boosted the garlic yields by three times to 200–250 maunds per acre. It has reportedly far more nutritional value as well compared to traditional cultivars so can serve several medicinal purposes as well.

But farmers and other investors who wouldn’t normally care for agriculture for a bit saw it as a quick money-making tool and jumped in right and left. The original seed which was introduced at a mere Rs. 500 per shot through the roof in no time. So much so that at a time it was even being sold at Rs. 18,000 per kg and people were buying it.

What was meant to be a garlic alternative quickly became a bubble but the good thing about them is they always burst. Our regular dirty tricks also got in the way with people mixing it with cheaper varieties which drove its yields down and so its reputation. It was being called a scam as quickly as it got bumped as a gold mine.

The present scenario is that big names in the business like Quintech by Gourmet, Bannu Mukhtar, MG Farms and Haier which practice purity and sell certified products are selling it at Rs. 7,000-7,500 per kg and dried one can go up to Rs. 12,000 per kg, but you can easily find it in Facebook groups for Rs. 1,500. Talk about spoiling the market.

When it first appeared in 2019, a huge hype got created around it and its prices increased by several times due to a big gap in supply and demand”, stated Aqib Hussain Sial, Farm Officer at Quintech Seeds which is growing G1 Garlic on more than 100 acres.

He added that it has gone out of the reach for the common farmer to adapt although if it’s even sold at Rs. 500 kg in wet form, it can still translate into enormous profits for farmers but for that, there needs to be some kind of regulation as happen with the other agronomic crops.

Since it’s a new crop, not many know how to ensure purity and save it from fungus and those who are not interested in playing by the rules. People have made so much out of this that though it still hasn’t entered the domestic markets and retail, it is valued far higher than any other crop at the moment.

Coming back to its benefits, despite its ridiculously high prices, some claim that its unit economics still make sense. Its average seed rate is 600-800 kg per acre while its output ranges from 8,000-10,000 kg and even 14,000 kg, a straight ten times turn over which is yet significant even if operating expenses are included. The yields vary depending upon the care but no other crop can promise such margins.

It’s our indigenous crop and can potentially enable Pakistan to cut its reliance on imports for its garlic consumption”, stated Muhammad Ali Iqbal, CEO at Concave Agri which also deals in certified G1 Garlic trade.

He added that its medicinal value is also well documented and with a bigger size it’s easier to manage for processing and value addition. He also said that per their research it will cost Rs. 300-400 kg and its export value are around $22 for even less than a kg in some cases and the private sector has realized that potential rightfully.

In a recent development, G1 Garlic Growers are lobbying Commerce Ministry to get permits to export G1 Garlic that is now being grown on thousands of acres in the country without any significant domestic demand for human consumption.

Last month, a delegation of G1 Garlic growers met Director Agro at Commerce Ministry Islamabad to discuss the future of value addition and export of G1 Garlic. Consequently, Commerce Ministry has asked the Director of Plant Protection at the Ministry of National Food Security and Research for

• Details of countries with whom dossiers of G1 variety have been shared to get market access
• Details of countries where G1 variety can be exported without SPS requirements

But why it hasn’t entered the domestic retail market? Because surprisingly even after four years, this cultivar is still in the multiplication stage and its seed demand hasn’t subsided yet. It’s a simple supply chain phenomenon which means it may take a few years before you can buy it from your nearest market.

Another reason often cited for its absence from the mandis is the stereotype right or wrong that its taste is not at par with our conventional garlic. Although, people who have consumed it claim that it’s no different from its counterpart. Moreover, from Mexi-Pak Wheat to Broiler chicken, the common populace is known to show resistance to new food given the long-developed taste buds.

It’s all chemical properties are known, it has gone through the extensive scientific assessment and all rumours around its origin or taste are lies” stated Dr Azeem Khan, Ex-Chairman of PARC in an online discussion.

He added that they didn’t foresee its high price as its demand was expected to stabilize in two years, and we hoped people would only sell it in dry form. He pointed out that it’s matchless in its quality to remain viable for more than two years without sprouting, and it has huge potential for industrial value addition which he anticipates will start happening in the near future.

But whether Pakistan will be able to tap it rightfully, only time can tell. What we can be sure of after talking with the industry experts is that the windfall profits that people enjoyed in past years from it won’t last. The simple marketing truth is that some things have their perceived value, and they can’t be sold for less and more than that.

The second truth is that G1 Garlic does present a one of a time opportunity for Pakistan to tap value-added agriculture exports, and we can also hope or rather expect that the industry knowledge that the private sector has acquired through it will not stay limited to garlic and other crops and farming at large will benefit from it as well.