LAHORE - The Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Company (PHDEC) the other day organised a workshop on potato in Okara, the major potato production hub in Pakistan. The workshop focused on key areas including harvest, post-harvest handling, processing, packing, storage of potato, post smog management techniques and export prospects in major importing countries with the aim of enhancing the quality, yield and export of this important vegetable.
Potato is Pakistan’s leading vegetable with an annual production of approximately 8.3 million metric tonnes. Proper harvest and post-harvest handling are essential for preserving potato quality and ensuring successful exports. With the potato export season underway and continuing until April, the workshop provided timely guidance to growers, processors, and exporters.
CEO PHDEC, Mr Athar Hussain Khokhar, inaugurated the event, welcoming participants and emphasising PHDEC’s commitment to supporting potato stakeholders. He announced the upcoming establishment of a PHDEC regional office in Okara to strengthen collaboration with the sector and facilitate timely interventions in both production and marketing. He reiterated PHDEC’s dedication to providing comprehensive support to the potato industry. Trade missions from major importing countries were invited via Zoom to share market insights from their respective regions. These included— Dr Kauser Ali Zaidi, Trade and Investment Minister, Kabul, Afghanistan; Ms Sadia Khan, Trade and Investment Counselor, Jeddah, KSA; Ms Serrein Asad, Trade and Investment Attache, Doha, Qatar; Ms Tahira Javed, Trade and Investment Counselor, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Mr Zain Aziz, Trade and Investment Attaché, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Experts from the Potato Research Institute (PRI) and University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Sub-campus, Okara, delivered comprehensive presentations on addressing critical challenges in potato production and post-harvest handling— Dr Syed Ijaz-Ul-Hassan, Director, Potato Research Institute, Sahiwal, provided an overview of the current potato crop and highlighted the importance of adopting best agricultural practices to ensure quality and yield. Dr Muhammad Nawaz Sajid, Principle Scientist/Station Incharge, Potato Research Station Sahowali, Sialkot, shared detailed post-smog and post-harvest management practices, stressing the adverse effects of over-irrigation and recommending judicial pruning. He also shared strategies to manage major pests and diseases.
Dr Shoaib Ur Rehman, Assistant Professor, UAF Sub-campus, Okara, presented standard techniques for harvesting and post-harvest handling to maintain the fruit’s quality and maximise yields.
Participants appreciated PHDEC’s valuable contributions to sector development and welcomed its timely initiatives to address pressing challenges and enhance the potato industry’s competitiveness in international markets.