Ginger…..botany….uses…..medicinal …..production….

trade……Pakistan
scenario…..constraints…….solutions…conclusion….

After garlic G1 success in Pakistan, farmers are ready to cultivate ginger

in first time ever
Ginger and garlic are spices used in every culinary, as their function is to
add flavor to foods. Since independence, Pakistan has grown garlic as a
local variety that had less yield than Chinese and Thailand garlic
cultivars. However, NARC certified a high-yielding cultivar in 2018 that
sparked the farmers throughout the country due to its climate
suitability in all provinces of the country. A high-quality Seed is a
prerequisite for crop success, the economy of a commercial variety is
primarily, determined by the seed quality and vigor, unfortunately,
Pakistan on a large scale is dependent on imported seeds, especially
hybrid ones.
Ginger, botanically known as Zingiber Officinale is an
underground rhizome crop that belongs to the family(Zingiberaceae) of
two important spices cardamom and turmeric. its leaves are light
yellow, the true stem(rhizome) is under the soil, and above is the
pseudostem that can grow up to 1m in height. botanically it is a
perennial plant species but grown as an annual crop.
Ginger has a long hold in history, used in almost all kinds of culinary. In
China, India, and Japan it is a part of everyday cuisine to add flavor to
foods.it can be used fresh or dried; however, the fresh rhizome is hotter
in taste because of the presence of gingerol, which converts to
gingerine upon cooking. Processed ginger is used in pickles, fast foods,
bread, confections, sauces, etc. Moreover, this spice is more beneficial
for health than any other spices and condiments.it gives relief against
gastric pain, heartburn, nausea, and bole.
Research data shows that ginger can grow in highly acidic soil with a pH
between 5 and 6. the optimum temperature ranges within 25-32°C and
2500mm rainfall are the most critical conditions to provide a conducive
environment for crop production. However, these parameters are
naturally available in the Indian climate therefore it is largest exporter
of ginger in the world, says Dr. Amir at the conference on ginger
cultivation held at Ayyub Agriculture Research Institute, Faisalabad. In
Pakistan, some places like the pothwar plateau are suitable for ginger
cultivation for having more acidic soil than central and south Punjab.
However, in Pakistan average soil pH is above 8, which is a major
constraint to growing ginger. In KPK, only the Mansehra district has soil
and climate characteristics that are suitable for ginger growth, as
mentioned in the ginger cluster report prepared by the national
planning commission. This crop is not fully acclimatized in the country
as yield the is lowest in the region, so varietal trials at several research
stations are continued, and will be until final certification local ginger as
a cultivar.
in Punjab, the pothwar region has also a climate proximal to Mansehra.
Many farmers have started ginger farming in Chakwal, and the acreage
is increasing every year. the average rhizome per plant is about 1 kg in
weight and the yield per hectare is just 0.45 tonnes as compared to the
8.2 tonnes /ha global average. Here the farmers grow imported
varieties that cannot thrive best in the local climate, giving the lowest
yield compared to the rest of the world. This spice has significant use in
our daily culinary, so we import ginger in a large quantity, according to
Agriculture Statistics of Pakistan, in 2017 nearly 79110 thousand tonnes
of ginger were imported at the cost of 74 $ million, and since 2001 it is
increasing with 4.5% growth rate. we import this item mainly from
China and Thailand, where the cost per ton is less than the global
average due to geographical proximity with these countries. India is at
the top among ginger exporters, being our neighbor we might import
cheap ginger and other agricultural produce from it, however, our
dwindling diplomatic and political relationship with it leads to the trade
embargo.

Pakistan’s import bill based on agricultural produce is increasing

and is widening the trade deficit. The current government is taking a
few good steps to improve the agricultural economy. In the planning
commission report, it was revealed that there is no cluster for ginger
production in the country. However, with an investment of 7.2(M US$)
ginger cluster can be created,by allocation of funds in, GIS analysis of
the suitable area, subsidy to farmers, funding to research institutes,
collaboration with processors and industry, investment in value
addition, and government loans, etc. for saving foreign this investment
can substitute 25% of ginger import bill within five years. Successful
cultivation of ginger in Pakistan will improve famers income from this
minor crop and will play significant role in import substitution.