by Xiong Weisheng

BEIJING, Jul 18 (China Economic Net) - Chinese agritech companies are looking to partner with Pakistan to help tackle key agricultural challenges in the South Asian country, offering solutions for water scarcity and the rehabilitation of saline land.

At the ongoing third China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE), Chinese firms presented technologies they believe are well-suited for Pakistan's environment and could provide a boost to local farmers and the national food supply chain.

A company named Xiaoma IoT is introducing smart agriculture solutions aimed at conserving water and fertiliser, and boosting productivity. The company has secured its first Pakistani client earlier this year with a $50,000 order for equipment like digital valves and integrated water-fertiliser systems, a company representative told China Economic Net (CEN) in an interview.

Smart agriculture solutions presented at Xiaoma IoT booth [China Economic Net/ Xiong Weisheng]

This technology allows farmers to manage irrigation and fertilisation through a smart platform that monitors soil conditions like moisture and nutrient levels in real-time. By delivering what the crop needs, the system helps conserve water and fertilisers.

The firm, which develops its own hardware and software, stated that it has received further business inquiries from other potential partners in Pakistan.

Another company, Guiwugu, is proposing an innovative ecological model to bring saline and alkaline land - a common problem in many of Pakistan's agricultural belts - back into production.

The method uses crayfish to naturally treat the soil. Crayfish live off surface water on land, gradually reducing salinity. Afterwards, the rehabilitated land can be used to grow rice, with the crayfish and rice cultivated together in a symbiotic system.

Crayfish act as a natural form of pest control and their waste fertilises the rice fields, which can improve the quality of the rice harvest without reducing the yield, Guiwugu founder Ni Libin told CEN reporter.

The ‘crayfish-rice symbiosis’ model at Guiwugu booth [China Economic Net/ Xiong Weisheng]

According to a Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) report, Pakistan lost 6.67 million hectares out of its 22-million-hectare agricultural land area to salinity, or 30% of the total farm land.

This technology is already in use in Northeast China and is being tested in Xinjiang, a region with a climate that shares similarities with parts of Pakistan.

"The technology can be tried in Pakistan," he stated, noting that winter temperatures in Pakistan's agricultural zones are suitable for this type of farming.