“Chinese cauliflower seeds are affordable, yet their quality and yield are high. Each planting seasons revenue has increased by 50% compared to previous years,” in Punjab, Pakistan, about 4,000 kilometers from Tianjin, local farmer Mohammad pointed to the newly harvested cauliflower in his field, with a satisfied smile on his face. “Our local seed salesperson brought us this Chinese cauliflower seed, promising high quality and yield. I bought a batch to try. It was a surprise, indeed.”
“Pakistan imports more than 90 percent of the cauliflower seeds. Hybrid varieties are what we are badly in need of. Now, the major market share belongs to China. They can provide comparatively cheaper seeds,” noted Muhammad Muzaffar Raza, a science officer of Vegetable Research Institute at Ayub Agriculture Research Institute (AARI). His viewpoint was echoed by leading grower Farman Khan, “since we planted Chinese varieties, our income has greatly increased.”
As a main vegetable on the table of Pakistanis, local cauliflower varieties in Pakistan have a long growth cycle and low yields, while high-end hybrid varieties are mostly monopolized by Western developed countries. However, cauliflower seeds of high quality from Tianjin have spanned a long distance to took root in Pakistan.
As climatic changes had made farming more difficult, more and more Pakistani farmers decided to experiment with Chinese vegetable seed varieties, which they had heard were more resilient, higher-yielding, and better suited to withstand extreme weather conditions.
In 2019, the Tianjin Academy of Agricultural Sciences completed the world’s first genome sequencing of cauliflower, with China ranking top in global cauliflower’s research. According to Sun Deling, chief scientist of China’s national cauliflower breeding and researcher at the Vegetable Research Institute of Tianjin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, his team began exploring international markets after meeting domestic demand. Since 2010, they have traveled repeatedly to Pakistan, India, Vietnam and other countries, tailoring new varieties to local climatic conditions.
“In addition to the high temperature, Pakistan has a complex terrain, thus there are many microclimates. The planting environment in two places dozens of kilometers apart is very different, so it is necessary to strengthen the targeted breeding.” Sun pointed out that after close cooperation with Pakistani technicians, the Chinese team finally selected and bred high-quality varieties with a short planting cycle, large single plant weight, good stress resistance, and suitable for the climatic conditions of South Asia.
