Using natural solutions to overcome crop toxins and increase Pakistan’s maize production
On World Food Safety Day, 7 June, we look at how a natural solution to a maize toxin is helping to safeguard Pakistan’s food security and smallholder farmer incomes. Aflatoxin contamination presents a severe threat to Pakistan’s population including its smallholder farmers, writes Dr Babar Bajwa, Senior Regional Director – Asia, CABI. They cause serious…
Punjab wheat growers hope to boost productivity with combine harvester and wheat straw chopper
CABI is working with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to help small-scale wheat farmers in the Hafizabad and Sheikhupura districts of Punjab, Pakistan, boost their productivity by demonstrating the benefits of modern machinery – the New Holland TC-56 combine harvester and wheat straw chopper.
Maize growers of Punjab helped to manage aflatoxins through biological control technology
Maize crop in Pakistan presents a remarkable success story from the last few years. For instance, the country’s maize production increased from 705 tonnes in 1971 to 7,000 tonnes in 2020 – growing at an average annual rate of 5.15%.
Kamla Bai charts her journey of empowerment from farmworker to women village trainer for CABI
This is the story of Kamla Bai who has been a Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) farmworker since 2015. Mrs Bai belongs to a minority Hindu community and lives in a small village of district Mirpur Khas in Pakistan. She received her education to Matric level (10th grade), graduated from high school, and has since been…
Sustainable cotton production ‘through the eyes’ of a Better Cotton farmer
Mr Javed is a resident of the village Jameel Dall, union council Mir Imam Bux Talpur, in the district of Mirpur Khas in Pakistan. He has, since 2012, been one of the active farmers of CABI’s project to help improve cotton production which is run under the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI).
CABI helps build capacity of government stakeholders in Pakistan to tackle aflatoxins with biological controls
Aflatoxins are powerful fungal toxins that contaminate many agricultural products, including cereal grains, chilies, dry fruits and nuts. They also well affect milk because some livestock feed contains aflatoxin. In Pakistan, aflatoxin concentrations in harvested grain frequently exceed the level permitted in countries where aflatoxin in food and feed is regulated. The Aflatoxin Control in…
Better Cotton Initiative is empowering rural women in Pakistan through entrepreneurship
As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2021 today (8 March) and its theme of ‘Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world’, CABI’s Naheed Babar, Noreen Mangrio and Noor Nabi Bhutto highlight how CABI’s role in the Better Cotton Initiative is helping to empower women in Pakistan through entrepreneurship.
Aflatoxin control in Pakistan – promising developments to reduce aflatoxin problem in maize crop
Aflatoxin Control in Pakistan is a game changer initiative for the country’s maize industry. Maize growers adopt cultural practices, such as the drying of maize cobs on concrete grounds and delaying the harvesting to reduce moisture on the standing crop.
Horticulture programme in Pakistan helps increase farmer incomes by almost 20%
Insect pests cause millions of dollars of crop losses in countries throughout the world every year. Pakistan is no exception. Pests like apple codling moth, apple spider mites, papaya mealybug, giant mealybug and fruit flies can harm crops causing substantial losses to crop yields and farmer incomes. On a broader level, these losses also negatively…
Shared expertise helps plans for Pakistan to produce over 5,000 tons of organic cotton by end of year
CABI Central and West Asia brought together 30 farmers from the Barkhan and Lasbella districts of Balochistan to share expertise which will help plans for Pakistan to produce more than 5,000 tons of organic cotton by the end of the year.