On November 2nd, 2022, The China-Pakistan Horticulture Research and Demonstration Centre (CPHRDC), a joint center between Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU) and the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (UAF), was inaugurated to promote the cooperation between both countries in the field of Horticulture. Certificates were awarded to the joint research project in charge at the site.
The China-Pakistan Horticulture Research and Demonstration Centre (CPHRDC) is an international research and demonstration facility at Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China. The CPHRDC is home to various research projects and programs focusing on fruit and vegetable breeding, postharvest management, greenhouse production technologies, floriculture and landscape management, and modern mechanization to produce high-quality horticultural crops. The CPHRDC will also host educational events, conferences, and workshops, making it a valuable resource for the horticulture academia and industry.
The Center will improve mutual understanding between Chinese and Pakistani horticultural researchers by identifying relevant fields and technology transfer needs in which both sides can collaborate. This Center, on the other hand, will broaden understanding and lay the foundation for institutional collaboration for developing scientific and industrial projects in various horticultural areas. The CPHRDC has the potential to benefit the horticulture sectors of both China and Pakistan. The work of the Center will be fundamental in assisting scientists and farming communities to increase productivity and mechanization through cooperative projects.
Joint research projects under CPHRDC for 2023-2024 include citrus variety evaluation, popularization, and the R&D demonstration of high-quality production technology, research and training on postharvest quality maintenance, and standardization of postharvest operation of Kinnow citrus fruit, research on germplasm enhancement and cultivar extension of Solanaceae vegetables and landscape horticulture management and construction technology.
HAZU and UAF have been working together for years to build cooperation in the field of agriculture and talent exchange. Both universities are consistently committed to promoting cooperation across multiple disciplines and at a deeper level. Currently, HAZU has 204 students from Pakistan, accounting for 44 percent of its total international students, and 149 of them are holding doctoral degrees. HAZU has also established a Pakistan Alumni Association. Since 2015, 13 Pakistani students from HAZU have been recognized by the Chinese Ministry of Education as outstanding foreign students in China.
On the occasion, Ms. Rabbia Nasir, Third Secretary, Embassy of Pakistan in China highlighted that the center would be a new addition to scientific research, talent cultivation, and industrial cooperation in agriculture. “China is definitely an example of agricultural modernization of fast-track mechanization, of food conservation of demonstration basis. Pakistan has fertile farmland, a rich workforce, and young minds. The two countries have a lot of fundamentals to build on those complementarities.” she added.
The inauguration ceremony was witnessed by President HZAU Prof. Li Zhaohu and Vice Chancellor UAF Prof. Iqrar Ahmad Khan on behalf of their respective organizations.
