Islamabad, 17 November 2025 — Rana Tanveer Hussain, Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, chaired a briefing at the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council where a KOICA research team presented a detailed feasibility report for the Establishment of Seed Potato Production and Supply Center (SPPSC). The minister welcomed the delegation and described the initiative as a timely and transformative step for Pakistan’s seed potato sector.
The minister emphasized that while large tracts of land in Pakistan are devoted to potato cultivation, the country still relies heavily on imports to meet certified seed demand. He said the SPPSC project is designed to build domestic capacity for high-quality seed potato production, significantly reduce import dependence and support national food security. With the introduction of aeroponics and tissue culture, the project targets at least a 20 percent increase in production and aims to provide virus-free certified seed to more than 100,000 farmers.
Representing KOICA, Director J Ho Yoon praised PARC’s research on seed potato and reiterated Korea’s commitment to long-term agricultural partnership with Pakistan. He said Korea’s expertise in aeroponics, modern cold chain systems and advanced laboratory infrastructure will be transferred to Pakistan at scale. KOICA plans to support not only production technologies but also comprehensive capacity building through training programs, ERP systems, traceability measures and post-harvest management to strengthen institutional capabilities.
The minister added that the government will facilitate rapid approval and effective implementation of the SPPSC project, noting its direct link to agricultural modernization and rural livelihoods. He highlighted that modern labs, screen houses, aeroponics units and cold storage infrastructure under the project will create an exemplar model for virus-free seed production across the country.
Officials said the project is expected to lower input costs for farmers, raise rural incomes and fortify national food security. The meeting concluded with mutual assurance that Pakistan–Korea agricultural cooperation will deepen and that tangible benefits from the SPPSC initiative will be realized nationwide.
