By Ayesha Saba ISLAMABAD, Nov 11 : (INP-WealthPK): Increased awareness among the consumers around the globe about the excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers compromising the nutritional value of fruits and their products and human health has caused the growers to switch over to organic farming. Organic farming involves all the methods of cultivation and food processing that emphasise reduced inputs of pesticides and fertilisers and can be environmentally sustainable. Organic fruit farming has experienced a dramatic expansion over the last decade. In Asia, organic agriculture has steadily expanded in the past few years and this region is expected to display increasing growth and development in organic agriculture. By 2019, the organic agricultural area in Asia accounted for approximately 0.4 % of the estimated 5.9 million hectares of agricultural land. China, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand are the major organic producers in Asia.  China has adopted an innovative path, via green food, towards achieving an organic future. This transition strategy may be a model for other countries seeking a rapid expansion of organic farming.                   Source: Statista In Pakistan, which is an agro-based economy, about 70% of the population is engaged in the agricultural sector. Geographically, Pakistan has diverse climatic conditions that are suitable for cultivation of a variety of fruit crops. Currently, a range of temperate, subtropical, and tropical fruits including citrus, mango, guava, dates, banana, apple, peach, apricot, plum, and grapes are produced in all the five provinces throughout the growing season. Among them citrus, mangos, dates, guava, and apples are the leading fruit crops. Organic fruit plantation in Pakistan is an unexplored enterprise and there is a need to exploit its potential for both domestic and export markets. Some regions can be developed for specialised enterprises, such as organic mango production in the northern Punjab and Azad Jammu, and Kashmir (AJK). These areas can become centres for organically grown mangoes for pickles. In these areas, mango seedling trees are present as wild plants without any addition of fertilisers or pesticides. Similarly, in some pockets of Baluchistan province few if any pesticides are used for planting fruits such as apple, peach and date. These areas have the potential to shift easily to organic fruit plantation. Organic fruit plantation would employ large numbers of unskilled and semi-skilled labourers for specialised handling of products from the start of plantation right through marketing. This will generate large-scale employment opportunities. The current farming practices in Pakistan heavily rely on the use of chemical inputs and high yielding varieties which has led to a decline in soil fertility and loss in topsoil, organic matter and the crop production potential of soils. Organic fruit plantation in Pakistan is in its initial phase of development accounting for 0.2 percent of the total land. Fruit growers practicing traditional fruit production are facing many challenges. Organic inputs are not easily available to them due to the limited number of supply outlets in smaller cities and villages. Consequently, for pest and weed control, the farmers are constrained to use mechanical and biological methods to which they have immediate access. Another issue is that there is little institutional support for organic farming, as no subsidies are available for organic products. Presently, there is a lack of awareness among the consumers as well as growers about the organic fruits. By addressing challenges, such as small land holdings, lower yields, widely dispersed farms, long-term investment, low in-hand capital, lack of national policy for organic fruit farming, and limited R&D programs, the growers can be encouraged to shift from conventional to organic fruit plantation in Pakistan. At this stage, it is necessary to explore the marketing potential of organic fruits so that appropriate policy measures may be taken for further expansion and adoption. The more aware the consumers are of the health benefits associated with organic produce, the more likely they will purchase organic products. In Pakistan, organic farming is still in its infancy with a very limited number of established organic farms. In order to boost organic fruit trade in Pakistan and capture a significant share of the global market, it is imperative to focus on organic fruit production, which will make Pakistani commodities more competitive in the international market. As the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has entered the second phase and more Chinese agricultural technologies are flowing into Pakistan, the country has great opportunity to learn new techniques and benefit from China’s rich experience in producing organic foods.