By Wang Xiaotong

VEHARI, Oct 31 (China Economic Net) - Recently, China’s Honglian hybrid rice achieved promising results in Pakistan, with the yields of its three varieties H13, H14 and H15 reaching 11.3 tons/ha, 12.3 tons/ha and 10.8 tons/ha respectively. Among them, H14 stood out for its large panicles and high grain count, boosting yields by over 12% compared with local mainstay varieties, according to Prof. Zhu Renshan, Director of the China-Pakistan Joint Research Center for Honglian Hybrid Rice.

On October 13, Xu Zhiyong from Prof. Zhu's research team visited the demonstration bases of Honglian hybrid rice in Lahore, Multan, Sahiwal, Vehari, etc., and met representatives from the University of Punjab and leading local agricultural enterprises. On October 19, the China-Pakistan Joint Research Center for Honglian Hybrid Rice held an on-site meeting in Vehari to promote the new technologies of Honglian hybrid rice. Over 200 participants attended, including distributors, farmers and agricultural technology experts from Punjab and Sindh.

Xu Zhiyong talks with Pakistani professionals and farmers in Honglian hybrid rice demonstration bases in Vehari in October, 2025. [Photo provided by Zhu Renshan]

Honglian hybrid rice is an original scientific and technological achievement of Wuhan University, with demonstration and promotion in Pakistan for more than 20 years. In 2020, the China-Pakistan Joint Research Center for Honglian Hybrid Rice was jointly established by Wuhan University, Hubei Association for Science and Technology, and the University of Punjab..

Over the past five years, the China-Pakistan Joint Research Center for Honglian Hybrid Rice has established experimental and demonstration bases spanning over 30 acres in Pakistan, held 5 technical training sessions (training over 300 Pakistani farmers, technicians, distributors and government officials), and organized 3 international seminars on the cooperative development of Honglian hybrid rice. In June, 2025, the Honglian HP4 variety obtained registration from the Rice Variety Evaluation Committee of the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council.

The China-Pakistan Joint Research Center for Honglian Hybrid Rice holds an on-site meeting in Vehari to promote the new technologies of Honglian hybrid rice in October, 2025. [Photo provided by Zhu Renshan]