By Faiza Tehseen ISLAMABAD, Feb 03 (INP-WealthPK): Ginger is an emerging crop in Pakistan for a sustainable farming with great economic potential. Pakistan is an agrarian country and this sector contributed 19.2 percent to GDP and employed about 38.5 percent workforce in the fiscal year 2021. Agri value chains are a great source to alleviate poverty and ensure sustainable livelihood, economic growth, as well as domestic and international trade, and more than 65-70 percent population depends on this sector in Pakistan. Ginger is extensively used in various ways, especially in Asian cuisines. Unfortunately, a large part of Pakistan’s domestic needs are fulfilled through imports. Currently, the commercial cultivation of ginger is mostly done in the areas of middle and lower Sindh, such as Mirpur Khas, Dadu, and Sukkur, which is inadequate to meet local needs. There was a dire need to find a solution for its cultivation domestically. To acquire the said purpose, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) has played a key role and different areas of Punjab province were selected to test new gene pool for better ginger production. PARC got success from the ginger cultivation pool in village Mari of district Chakwal in Punjab. Ginger crop thrives well in semi-tropical temperate zones, sandy clay or clay loam soils with PH level of 5.5 to 6.5. Cultivation of ginger at the commercial level is inadequate to meet domestic needs at any level. It is used in many forms, such as fresh, dry, bleached dry, oleoresin, crystallised, processed ginger products, powder, paste, and oil. It is a part and parcel of many industries including food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Many forms of ginger are available to consume depending upon its agronomic conditions, curing methods, drying, composition and storage conditions. During the year 2022, an approximate price range of ginger in Pakistan is between $2.34 to $2.41 per kg. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of ginger was 4.8 percent during the period of 2017-2021 at the international level which was anticipated to achieve the range of 6.50 percent by the end of 2022 with a growth rate of 3.13 percent per annum up to the year 2027. Major producers of ginger are India, Nigeria, China, Indonesia, Nepal, Thailand, Bangladesh and Japan, while major importer countries include India, the US, Pakistan, China, Nigeria, Indonesia, Nepal, Thailand, Bangladesh and Japan. Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali, Chairman of PARC, told INP-WealthPK, “After a series of regular experiments upon different ginger verities, PARC has successfully got the expected results.” He told that when the yield from a seed is 10 percent more, then the variety is considered successful, and it can be further distributed to farmers on a commercial basis. He said that they have imported seeds from different countries including China and Thailand. By inter-crossing of selected varieties, a promising variety is developed successfully with best adoptability according to Pakistani climatic conditions. After two years of successful cultivation, the variety will be named and registered under the regulations of Federal Seed Certification Department. The said promising variety is expected to yield up to eight to 10 tonnes per acre. Very soon, Pakistan will be able to fulfil its local needs and make exports as well. At the first stage, it is planned that ginger will be cultivated in the Potohar region. After that, the cultivation will be spread at a large scale at the national level. Obaid-Ur-Rahman, a farmer and owner of Agrionics farms, located in Village Mari at Balkasar interchange, Chakwal, told INP-WealthPK that with the coordination of PARC, he got the ginger rhizomes and cultivated them at one-hectare area from the total 20-hectare area of his farm after the successful adoptability of tunnel test trial. For the adoptability test, untreated ginger was imported to get rhizomes for further cultivation. He also felt proud to be the farm owner where Pakistan’s first ginger harvest was inaugurated by Dr. Sania Nishtar, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM), as a chief guest during the month of January 2022. The said ginger crop took 11 months to be harvested. Obaid told that a workshop was also held on the occasion, in which the participants were briefed about the market size of ginger at international level, value addition, ginger farm management, cultivation techniques, sustainable production, proper harvesting, seed saving and marketing etc. The demonstration of drip irrigation, sprinklers and shading fabric were also a part of practical demonstration. It is important for Pakistan to produce sufficient agricultural products which can thrive in its climatic conditions. It will not only make it independent to fulfil its local needs but will make it earn a good income and capture international markets as well.