By Muhammad Luqman

Scientists at the Vegetable Research Institute (VRI), Faisalabad, are developing high-yielding, heat-tolerant local tomato varieties to help reduce recurring shortages of this important kitchen crop in Pakistan.

"We are currently working on developing hybrid tomato varieties that can withstand high temperatures and exhibit tolerance to viral diseases," said Ghazanfar Hammad, Principal Scientist at VRI, Faisalabad.

Talking to Wealth Pakistan, he expressed hope that the new varieties would be ready for commercial release within the next two to three years.

He said the new varieties are being developed for cultivation during periods when temperatures are relatively moderate, helping ensure a more consistent supply of tomatoes to the market and reducing shortages during lean production seasons.

Ghazanfar Hammad said VRI is also developing local cherry tomato varieties, which are currently grown mainly from imported seed in home gardens.

"The local cherry tomato varieties will provide Pakistani consumers with vegetables of different tastes, colors and sizes," he said.

He noted that while tomato demand remains steady throughout the year, supply fluctuates significantly, resulting in periodic shortages and sharp price increases, particularly in Punjab, which accounts for only about 20 percent of Pakistan's total tomato production.

Pakistan produces around 4.2 million tons of tomatoes annually. However, because the country's tomato processing industry remains underdeveloped, almost the entire production is consumed as fresh produce.

According to Ghazanfar Hammad, tomato cultivation in Punjab is concentrated in eight districts: Muzaffargarh, Khushab, Sheikhupura, Multan, Faisalabad, Vehari, Khanewal and Gujranwala. The province supplies tomatoes to the market from April to June.

From June to November, supplies mainly come from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, while Sindh meets market demand from December to April. However, disruptions caused by extreme weather events and floods frequently trigger severe shortages, he warned.

According to vegetable traders, Pakistan usually imports tomatoes from neighboring countries, particularly Iran and Afghanistan, to bridge the gap between domestic demand and supply.

"This year, because of the ongoing regional conflict, Pakistan could not import tomatoes from either country, which led to a sharp increase in prices," Saddam Athar Khan, Secretary General of Anjuman-e-Tajiran, Badami Bagh Vegetable Market, told Wealth Pakistan.

He said tomato prices climbed to as high as Rs350 per kilogram in June.

He expressed hope that the development of high-yielding and off-season tomato varieties would help reduce dependence on imports and stabilize prices.

Food technologists say tomatoes' highly perishable nature limits their storage life, making year-round availability difficult.

"The best way to ensure tomato availability during lean months is to preserve it in the form of paste, chutneys or ketchup," said Dr Ahmad Din, Assistant Professor at the National Institute of Food Science and Technology, Faisalabad.

Talking to Wealth Pakistan, he said that during the glut season, particularly in April, tomatoes should be boiled, peeled and deseeded before being processed into paste. The paste should then be mixed with a suitable preservative and stored in a refrigerator at around 4 degrees Celsius.

"You can use the preserved tomato paste throughout the year in various dishes or further process it into ketchup and other products," Dr Ahmad Din said.

Credit: INP-WealthPk