The launch of Pakistan's first Joint Laboratory for Desert Agriculture and Science and Technology Backyard for Desert Horticulture marks a pragmatic milestone in bilateral agricultural collaboration, unlocking development potential for Pakistan's vast arid lands, according to Prof Cheng Xizhong, Senior Research Fellow at the Charhar Institute.

The project, located in Multan along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), integrates China's mature desert farming technologies with Pakistan's underdeveloped desert land resources. Pakistan's agricultural industry has long been plagued by severe water shortages and low land utilisation, with nearly 15% of its total land area consisting of uncultivated desert. This bilateral cooperation initiative targets these fundamental bottlenecks directly.

Adopting technologies developed and tested by Tarim University (TARU) in Xinjiang, the project introduces solar-powered greenhouses, precision agricultural systems, drone-enabled crop monitoring and water-saving drip irrigation technologies.

Cheng said the low-cost, high-efficiency solar greenhouse technology stands out as a core highlight. It tackles the long-standing operational inefficiencies of conventional greenhouses and boosts land productivity by up to 35%. Featuring a modular structure, the greenhouse can be assembled rapidly while ensuring excellent daylight transmission and heat insulation. The supporting water-curtain floor heating system absorbs solar energy during the day and releases stored heat at night to stabilise the internal microclimate, increase nighttime temperatures and drastically reduce overall energy consumption.

Fully compatible with Pakistan's Green Pakistan Initiative, the project promotes sustainable land restoration, drought-resistant crop planting and modern rural economic development, helping consolidate national food security, drive the growth of local supporting industries and improve the income and living standards of rural residents, he added.

Beyond bilateral economic and agricultural benefits, this cooperation model can be replicated for arid land modernisation across Central Asia and the Middle East. It demonstrates the mutually beneficial and people-oriented essence of the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, turning barren deserts into fertile farmland and injecting long-term green development momentum into regional economic cooperation frameworks, Cheng said. APP