Cultivation Ag

The ongoing potato crisis in Pakistan has drawn extensive media coverage over the past four weeks. Overproduction, coupled with the closure of the Afghanistan bor-der since mid-October 2025, has caused a market crash, with supply exceeding demand to the point that potatoes are being used as livestock feed. So, the potato sector stands as a classic example of policy and planning failures in the agriculture sector that result in the waste of the country’s precious resources.

The current oversupply of potatoes stems largely from a bandwagon effect. In recent years, the crop yielded relatively higher profits, which induced farmers to increase its acreage significantly in both Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In 2024–25 alone, Pakistan’s potato area grew by 14 per cent, reaching 953,000 acres, with a production volume of 9.4 million tonnes. In Punjab, which produces roughly 95pc of the country’s potatoes, the area further expanded by 24pc in 2025–26.

As a result of these factors, potato production in the 2025–26 season is expected to reach 12m tonnes. Unfortunately, the government failed to anticipate this growing trend and did not expand exports accordingly in previous years. Meanwhile, domestic consumption and exports of potato value-added products have also lagged behind the surge in production.

While many believe that reopening the bor-der could help the situation, production levels are so high that even if exports match prior levels, they would still be inadequate to fully absorb the surplus

Another factor adding pressure to the market is last year’s potato stocks held in cold storage facilities. Due to the bor-der closure, these stocks — unlike in previous years — lasted until mid-January. Resultantly, the current crop has neither been exported nor absorbed by the domestic market in significant quantities so far. Consequently, over 80pc of the current harvest has yet to arrive in February and March.

Due to the market crash, farmers are facing massive financial losses at a time when they are already burdened with costly agricultural inputs.

Punjab Food D. said that wheat was being issued to flour mills at a rate of Rs 3,000 per 40 kg to ensure uninterrupted supply of flour and price stability.

The supply of wheat to flour mills at subsidized rates in Punjab has led to a significant improvement in the supply chain and flour is available in ample quantities to consumers across all districts.

A record 34,000 metric tons of wheat were milled by flour mills, and 1.4 million flour bags were supplied to the market. The notified prices are Rs 905 for a 10 kg flour bag and Rs 1,810 for a 20 kg flour bag.

Alongside this, the Punjab would procure 3 million metric tons of wheat through the private sector at a rate of Rs 3,500 per 40 kg (one maund). In this regard, the date for submission of applications for pre-qualification by the private sector had been set as February 12, 2026.

More than 200 different plant species have been successfully cultivated over the past five years at the coldest place on Earth. Specialists from the Russian Antarctic Expedition and the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute have grown a wide range of leafy greens, vegetables, and melon varieties at Vostok Station—despite the extreme climatic conditions.

Fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers from the station’s own greenhouse are now an almost permanent part of the polar researchers’ diet. Looking ahead, the cultivation of strawberries is also planned.

The fruit and berry growing project is part of the “Plants” experiment and has been conducted since 2020 in cooperation with the Agrophysical Research Institute and the Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

In the phytotechnological greenhouse complex, various types of cabbage, leafy greens, herbs, as well as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and watermelons are grown.

Short-term inflation, measured through the SPI, rose 4.52 per cent year-on-year in the week ending January 29, largely driven by higher retail prices of tomatoes, pulses and other essential food items.

According to the PBS, SPI inflation has remained on an upward trajectory for the past 26 consecutive weeks, reflecting persistent pressure from food prices, particularly perishable items. Despite the annual increase, the index recorded a marginal week-on-week decline of 0.03pc.

The weekly increase was mainly attributed to a rise in prices of tomatoes, which surged by 7.53pc, followed by chicken at 3.25pc and bananas at 3.07pc. Other items that registered notable increases included LPG, pulse mash, pulse gram, chilies powder, pulse moong, firewood and vegetable ghee. Minor increases were also observed in shirting fabric and ci******es.

In contrast, several essential items saw a decline in prices over the previous week. Potatoes recorded the sharpest drop of 7.81pc, followed by onions at 6.66pc. Prices of wheat flour, masoor pulse, eggs, gur and broken basmati rice also eased slightly, providing limited relief to consumers.

The Sindh G. has decided to provide a subsidy on urea fertiliser to verified wheat farmers under the Sindh Wheat Growers Support Programme, Sindh M. for Agriculture Sardar Muhammad Bux Khan Mahar said.

He said the payment of the subsidy would begin on February 2, 2026, with verified farmers eligible to receive Rs8,000 per acre through Sindh Bank and other designated banks.

The M. said the Agriculture D. had released more than Rs12 billion to Sindh Bank for the second phase of the programme.

A list of 212,171 verified farmers had also been provided to the bank for disbursement purposes.

He added that the subsidy was being extended to wheat growers on the special instructions of Pakistan Peoples P. Chair Bilawal Bhutto.

He said that during the first phase of the programme, farmers had already been given subsidies on DAP fertiliser.

Pakistan’s cotton arrivals at ginneries stood at 5.497 million bales as of 15 January 2026, broadly flat compared to 5.490 million bales recorded in the same period last year, according to data compiled by Arif Habib Ltd.

Provincial data shows a mixed trend. Punjab’s cotton arrivals declined by 4 percent year on year (YoY) to 2.586 million bales, compared to 2.687 million bales last year.

Sindh posted a 4 percent YoY increase, with arrivals rising to 2.911 million bales from 2.803 million bales during the same period last season.

Despite the flat year-on-year performance, total arrivals remain slightly lower than the 5.525 million bales recorded by 28 February 2025.

On the production side, cotton sowing continues to lag targets. Total sowing for FY26 stands at 2.00 million hectares, falling short of the targeted 2.26 million hectares.

Farmers have achieved 88.6 percent of the planned area for harvest. Lower sowing and stagnant arrivals could weigh on overall cotton production and increase reliance on imports and pressuring textile sector margins if the trend persists.

The imports of agriculture machinery and implements into the country during the fist half of current financial year grew by 21.64 percent as compared to the imports of the corresponding period of the last year.

Agriculture machinery valued at $65.760 million were imported during the period from July-December 2026 as compared to the imports of $54.059 million of the same period of the last year, , according the data of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

Meanwhile, the imports of agriculture and other chemicals group into the country during first half of the current financial year increased by 9.04 percent as compared to the imports of the corresponding period of the last year.

During the period from July-December, 2026, agricultural chemicals worth of $5.373 billion were imported as compared to the imports of $4.928 billion of the same period of the last year.

However, imports of fertilizer manufactured into the country reduced by 2.62 percent as 661,707 metric tons of fertilizer valued at $482.792 million was imported as compared to the imports of 719,583 metric tons worth of $440.341 million of the same period of the last year.

Meanwhile, country spent $97.937 million of the imports of 19,003 metric tons of different insecticides in last 06 months of current financial year as compared to the imports of 12,702 metric tons valued at $67.365 million of the same period of the last year.

Cultivation Ag - Latest Agriculture & Food Research And News Stay updated with the latest agriculture, farming, and food research and news on Cultivation AG and explore crop innovations.

Agriculture: The Domestication Of Plants And Animals - Cultivation Ag Many of the foods and fabrics we use in our daily lives come from agriculture. The most common agricultural products are cotton, wool, and leather. The

Garlic has been a beloved ingredient in kitchens and traditional medicine for thousands of years. Its sharp aroma and bold flavor make it a culinary staple, while its potential health benefits—ranging from boosting immunity to fighting infections—have earned it a place in natural remedies.

Modern science continues to uncover how garlic’s preparation and storage impact its nutritional value, and a groundbreaking 2025 study published in Applied Food Research offers clear answers. By analyzing how slicing, crushing, and drying affect garlic’s key compounds, this research provides practical insights for everyday cooking.

Why Garlic Preparation Impacts Nutritional Benefits
Garlic’s health benefits stem from sulfur-containing compounds like allicin, which forms when garlic is chopped, crushed, or sliced. Allicin is a volatile organosulfur compound celebrated for its antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, it is highly unstable and breaks down quickly when exposed to heat, air, or time.

Alongside allicin, garlic contains pyruvic acid, a byproduct of enzymatic reactions that contributes to its pungent flavor, and phenolic compounds, a class of antioxidants that protect cells from oxidative damage. These compounds degrade under certain conditions, making preparation and storage critical for preserving garlic’s nutritional value. The study by Rababah et al. compared three forms of garlic:

fresh sliced,
fresh crushed
dried slices.

Each form was stored at two temperatures—4°C (refrigeration) and 20°C (room temperature)—for periods ranging from 10 minutes to 2 days. Using advanced laboratory techniques, the researchers measured changes in allicin, pyruvic acid, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity.

Additionally, sensory tests with 40 participants revealed how these changes translate to flavor and aroma in dishes like hummus. Together, these findings offer a roadmap for using garlic in ways that balance health benefits and taste.

Read More: https://cultivationag.com/bioactive-and-antioxidant-differences-in-sliced-and-crushed-garlic/

Bioactive And Antioxidant Differences In Sliced And Crushed Garlic - Cultivation Ag Garlic has been a beloved ingredient in kitchens and traditional medicine for thousands of years. Its sharp aroma and bold flavor make it a culinary staple,