Scientists at the Potato Research Institute Sahiwal are developing potato varieties that can tolerate smog and fog, as deteriorating environmental conditions continue to affect crop productivity in Punjab.
The Punjab Agriculture Department says potatoes are cultivated on nearly one million acres in the province, with average annual production of about nine million tons. However, officials say changing climatic conditions and rising smog levels have increasingly reduced yields.
Director PRI Sahiwal Dr Syed Ijazul Hassan said smog and frost are highly damaging to potato crops, as smog inhibits photosynthesis, encourages diseases such as blight and lowers tuber quality. He said rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns and reduced water availability have further contributed to declining output.
He said the institute has already developed 12 fog tolerant, high yielding potato varieties and is now focusing on smog tolerant lines. Locally developed varieties include PRI Red, Ruby, Sadaf, Sahiwal Red, Sahiwal White, Ravi, Punjab, Sutlej, Kashmir, Sialkot Red, Ijaz 22 and Cosmo. Among these, Ijaz 22 has shown the ability to tolerate smog conditions in Punjab.
Farmers continue to rely on imported seed varieties, including Constance, Kuroda, Esmee, Rudolph, Alouette, Emanuelle, Fabula, Felsina for fries, Franceline, Frisia, Sababa, Alverstone Russet, Hermosa, Allison, Desiree, Cardinal and Diamant, increasing production costs.
Dr Hassan said PRI produced 60,000 kilograms of potato seed this year, of which 4,550 kilograms were distributed among farmers. He said the limited availability of quality certified local seed in bulk remains a key challenge. He also stressed that integrated pest management and sustainable agricultural practices could help reduce smog related losses.
Vice Chairman of the Potato Growers Cooperative Society Chaudhary Maqsood Ahmad Jatt said most potato seed is imported from the Netherlands, making cultivation increasingly expensive. He added that the suspension of Pakistan Afghanistan trade has severely affected exports, leaving cold storage facilities full as new crops arrive.
Jatt said Pakistan has the capacity to export potatoes to at least 37 countries and said China could be a key destination between January and April. He called for greater value addition through exports of processed products such as potato powder, starch and chips to stabilize prices and limit losses for growers.
