PHDEC hosts floriculture webinar

KARACHI: The Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Company (PHDEC) conducted a webinar titled "Post-harvest Management Techniques of Cut Flowers for Export Markets," drawing attention to the significant potential of floriculture in enhancing the livelihoods of the country's small farming households.

The event, which aimed at processors, potential growers, and exporters within the floriculture sector, highlighted the favorable climate and affordable labor available in Pakistan, which make it an ideal location for floriculture, requiring minimal land and water for production.

Dr. Iftikhar Ahmad, associate professor (floriculture and landscape), Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, presented on importance of postharvest management for cut flowers, maintaining quality during postharvest handling, pre-harvest factors affecting postharvest handling, cut flower handling procedures, grading and bunching of cut flowers.

He said that harvested flowers shouldn't be placed on soil to avoid contamination of the foliage and flowers with disease causing organisms. He explained that packing materials should be easily available, light in weight and should have reasonable strength to withstand transit stress.

Ahmad added that flowers should be harvested in the morning when temperatures are low and plant water content is high, make cuts to the plant to obtain long, sturdy stems. Remove the foliage on the stems that will be below the water which will decay and encourage bacterial growth.

He explained that flowers occupy only 0.5 percent of the cultivated area of Pakistan while country has favorable agro- climatic and socioeconomic conditions for horticulture sector. He further added that less training facilities to the farmers on export parameters, under developed domestic market with poor post-harvest handling and lack of technical knowledge for drying flowers are major issues in floriculture sector.

A large number of growers/farmers, R&D professionals, entrepreneurs, and academia participated and appreciated PHDEC's initiative.