Recently, the Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (GAAS) and Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam (SAU), launched the Flax Study Research and Innovation Hub, marking a new chapter in agricultural collaboration between China and Pakistan.
This partnership focuses on enhancing variety selection, breeding, and planting technologies to reduce the two nations’ reliance on imported edible oil.
As one of the world’s largest edible oil importers, Pakistan faces a growing shortfall. Meanwhile, China, despite being a major flaxseed processor with an annual capacity of about 1 million tons, still imports around 60% of its flaxseeds. Both countries share the challenge of boosting domestic flaxseed production.
China and Pakistan’s flaxseed industries complement each other. Pakistan boasts rich flax resources, particularly yellow flax, which is rare in China. However, outdated planting techniques and limited farming machinery in Pakistan hinder flaxseed production. On the other hand, Gansu, China’s leading flaxseed producer, benefits from GAAS’s advanced breeding and production technologies.
Since 2020, the GAAS-SAU collaboration has achieved significant progress, including overcoming challenges in flax cultivation in cold and arid areas and improving stress resistance, particularly salt tolerance. Despite the pandemic, three Chinese flax varieties were successfully trialed in Pakistan, while seven Pakistani varieties have been bred in China, with more on the way.
Looking ahead, the Hub will focus on new variety selection, breeding of dryland crops, and advancements in planting technology, plant nutrition, and agricultural machinery. The collaboration will also include academic exchanges, training, and joint research on a broader range of crops such as forage sorghum, cotton, rape, and small grains. As CPEC progresses, the growing agricultural partnership between Gansu and Pakistan holds significant promise for future developments.
