Pakistan is an agricultural country, where the agriculture sector directly adds 21.4% to its GDP, provides 40% employment and 60% export. Horticulture as a sub-sector participates 11% in the agriculture sector. Agriculture in Pakistan mainly revolves around the major crops like wheat, rice, cotton, citrus, mango etc. Horticulture occupies 6% of arable land of Pakistan, while floriculture occupies only 0.5%.

The floriculture industry is well-established around big cities like Karachi, Hyderabad, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Multan and Quetta where flower consumption is high.

Pattoki near Lahore serves as the central market from which about one million pieces of cut flowers are exported daily to different cities around the country. Those consuming the most are Karachi, Peshawar, Lahore, and Islamabad and there, demand is increasing with time. In Pattoki, flowers are packed in wooden or paper cartons and transported to different markets by railway and road without cold storage. Each wooden or paper carton contains fifty pieces of cut flowers.

The Pakistani flower industry is not at a higher standard because of the unavailability of suitable facilities for harvest and post-harvest treatments, low productivity and high cost of production, poor cold chain storage facilities, lack of proper disease and pest control, lack of knowledge about the market, non-availability of skilled labour during harvesting, and the non availability of a well developed internal market.

Issues related to the market include a lack of a proper cold chain, lack of cooperation between private and government sectors and inadequate transport facilities. Now the government and private sector are trying to resolve these issues for enhancing the floriculture industry in Pakistan.

Source: University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan