‘Asia’s largest fish farm’ in Pakistan’s Patki awaits government support to boost Gulf exports
Patki, Pakistan: With a bird’s eye view, dozens of nurseries with colorful flowers, giant trees and ornamental plants can be seen dotted across several kilometers of the city. All around them, hundreds of workers fly around, planting, pruning, and picking weeds from the ground and clay pots.
This is the scene in Patki, a city in Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province, Kasur district, which exporters and government officials claim is Asia’s largest nursery market. Spread over more than 1,000 hectares, the market employs approximately 100,000 people directly or indirectly.
“this [nursery] is spread over 10 villages, and the population of each village is estimated to be around 10,000 people,” exporter Lala Shaukat told Arab News in Patki last week. “This is a profitable business and people are making good money from it. [Pattoki] became the largest in Asia [nursery] market. “
“Patki is indeed the largest nursery in Asia as it is spread over one location in one city, and this is the largest market in Pakistan, from where plants and flowers are not only supplied across the country. It is also exported to Saudi Arabia, UAE, and other Gulf countries,” said Dr. Basharat Saleem, deputy director of General Agriculture Directorate, Punjab.
In Patki, the average nursery is spread over more than 10 hectares, with 30 to 40 gardeners tending around 350 types of plants and flowers, which are sold both locally and for export.
“About 350 types” [of different plants] available [at this nursery]It also includes palm trees and shade trees,” nursery school owner Bilal Ahmed told Arab News. “Also, we have an abundance of fruit trees and flowers.”
gulf export
Exporter Sheraz Ali said Pakistan’s plant and flower exports to Gulf countries have increased from about 15 containers per year to 250 containers in 2024 since 2018.
“There are about 10,000 to 12,000 plants in one container. [exported] Its value is around 3 million rupees ($10,782) to 3.5 million rupees ($12,578),” Ali told Arab News. “An average of 40,000 to 50,000 plants per acre. [are being planted]”
The Plant Protection Agency agreed with Ali, saying at least 250 containers are shipped annually, with the Gulf region being the main destination.
“Our exports of plants and flowers have recorded a significant increase in the Gulf region in recent years, and this year’s figure of 250 shipping containers for exporters appears to be true,” said Khalid, the deputy. Dr. Zafar said. The Director of the Department of Plant Protection said that exact export numbers are not readily available to the Department at this time.
The closest destinations to Pakistan are Saudi Arabia and the UAE, where shipments could arrive within a week, exporters said. .
“We have focused on roses in response to the demand of exporting roses to bring dollars to our market. That way, roses can play a role in the development of our country,” Ali said. added.
For consignments that must be exported, plants and flowers are moved from earthen pots to a soilless medium known as coco peat. This is necessary because there is a global ban on exporting clay from one country to another due to concerns that the soil can transmit viruses and bacteria.
“First of all, to export to Saudi Arabia, Dubai and all these Arab countries, we need a soilless medium. You can’t move clay from one country to another. Clay has no viruses or You can get rid of the soil because it can contain bacteria and there is a very high chance that the infection will spread.”The disease will spread,” Ali explained.
“So we import coco peat from Sri Lanka, make it soilless, and use it for plants after going through a certain process.”
“Government support”
But traders and growers in Pakistan say farmers are growing new varieties of plants and flowers and increasing orders from abroad, even though the nursery and flower market is a “billion dollar industry”. He said he was having a hard time.
“Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, this is a huge market for us. We only export to one country: Dubai [UAE]and the quantity to other countries is negligible,” said Shaukat, an exporter who has been in the business for 30 years. “We need government support to expand exports. The government should cooperate with us and then our exports can increase significantly. If we are not recognized as an industry, We cannot increase exports.”
Shaukat said the government’s decision to ban the import of plants and seedlings into Pakistan has hurt business as growers are unable to bring in new varieties of plants.
“The world is looking for new varieties. [plants] Because people don’t like varieties that are 50 years old,” Shaukat told Arab News.
Nursery owner Ahmed agreed that government support and incentives are key to the industry’s future growth.
“This is a billion-dollar industry in Pakistan, but the government or any agency is not focusing on this industry,” he said as he walked through a row of factories.
“With focus, this multi-billion dollar industry can generate significant income for both governments and farmers.”
