CPEC to help increase Pak dates cultivation

ISLAMABAD: China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will help increase the Pakistan’s dates cultivation, says a report carried by Gwadar Pro on Thursday.

The CPEC is poised to usher in a new era of trade and growth, Pakistani date growers pin their hopes on its different projects to help bring revolution in date farming.

The newly built motorways under CPEC are making the dates’ market accessible to farmers and helping them bring the latest machines and modern farming tools to their farms in remote parts of the country.

The report says, the consumption of dates, especially in its natural form, is an essential part of the Ramadan diet; dates are an unmissable part of iftar (breaking of fast) and Suhur (pre-dawn meal).

Dates are the third largest horticulture crop in Pakistan, which is found in all four provinces of the country.

Pakistan produces one of the best dates in the world and the country has the potential to become a leader in date production and export; however, due to connectivity problems, lack of suitable agricultural machinery and date processing units, the desired results have not been achieved so far.