Raising awareness on Parthenium at Pakistan Horti Expo 2020
As part of the ‘Establishment of Model Farms’ project initiated by the Government of Punjab’s Agricultural Department, a two-day Pakistan Horti Expo held at the Expo Centre, Lahore, from 22-23 January 2020. The event urged key ‘players’ in agricultural value chains including smallholder farmers, processors, wholesalers, distributors, retailers and exporters to help boost the country’s fruit and vegetable exports.
Farmers learn advanced nursery raising techniques to strengthen Pakistan’s vegetable value chains
Onion and chilli farmers from villages in Pakistan’s Sindh province have come together to learn best practices of vegetable nursery raising as part of the CABI-led Strengthening Vegetable Value Chains Project (SVVCP) project funded by the Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research (ACIAR). The farmers from Ibrahim Shah and Khari Mohammad of district Tando Allahyar…
First biological control laboratory created in Pakistan to research poisonous aflatoxins
The first biological control laboratory to research poisonous aflatoxins has been created in Pakistan as part of a collaboration between CABI and the Crop Diseases Research Institute (CDRI) at the nation’s National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC). The facility, under the Aflatoxin Control Programme in Pakistan, aims to ensure the state of food security in the…
‘Sowing the seeds’ for organic cotton in Pakistan
CABI, under its Cotton Advocacy for Policy and Seed (CAPAS) Project with funding from the C&A Foundation, is making good progress to support the procurement, production and certification of non-GMO cotton seed as well as the development of organic cotton policy in Pakistan.
Engaging women for food security through aflatoxin control in Pakistan
Women constitute 49 percent of Pakistan’s population and play an important role in agriculture development. They are not only thought of as labourers, but also play their part as active researchers, extension agents and entrepreneurs. Under the Aflatoxin Control in Pakistan programme, CABI teamed up with Rafhan Maize Products Co. Ltd and the National Agricultural…
Sensitizing maize growers of Punjab on aflatoxin biocontrol to produce quality crops for their communities
Dr Sabyan Faris Honey, CABI, and Deborah Hamilton, USDA Farmers in the Punjab province of Pakistan produce 85% of maize not only for the purpose of helping to ensure local and regional food security but also for export to high end markets. Due to the presence of aflatoxin levels above permissible limits (20ppb) in maize…
CABI builds capacity to tackle aflatoxin contamination of cereal crops in Pakistan
In this latest blog from CABI’s Dr Sabyan Faris Honey and Deborah Hamilton of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), we look at how the ‘Aflatoxin Control in Pakistan’ project is increasing efforts to build the capacity of technical staff in Punjab province to manage the harmful toxins which affect cereal crops, including maize,…
Pakistani scientists receive hands-on training at Virginia Tech on biological control of aflatoxins
Aflatoxin Control in Pakistan is a public-private partnership program led by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and a USA-based company Ingredion and its Pakistani subsidiary, Rafhan Maize Products Co. Ltd in collaboration with CABI and the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC). The public-private partnership is working together to develop an indigenous biocontrol product,…
CABI helps Pakistan Museum of Natural History showcase scourge of noxious parthenium weed
CABI in Pakistan is helping the Pakistan Museum of Natural History (PMNH) showcase the scourge of the noxious parthenium weed, otherwise known locally at ‘Gajar Booti’, to members of the public visiting its Bio Gallery exhibit. Parthenium is regarded as one of the major threats to native species, environment and ecosystems in more than 48…
In the frame: fighting the scourge of parthenium weed in Pakistan
CABI has recently shared its expertise in a new parthenium evidence note which highlights a list of recommendations to fight the highly-invasive weed can cause severe allergic reactions in humans and livestock, may harbour malaria-carrying mosquitoes, displace native plant species and reduce pasture carrying capacities by as much as 80% to 90%. In this picture…