INTERNSHIP PRESENTATION

IQRA JUNEJOCLASS : BS (Agriculture)ORGANIZATION: SEDF

The Government of Sindh has created Sindh Enterprise Development Fund to provide legal as well as institutional mechanism to agricultural entrepreneurs.

It aims to provide opportunities for value addition in the agriculture sector.

It also seeks to introduce farm level interventions to improve efficiency and profitability.

INTRODUCTION TO SEDF

My internship was based at sindh enterprise development fund, finance department, Sindh government.

I completed my 6 weeks of mandatory internship by serving SEDF as management trainee and Coordinator & PRO to CEO for projects on banana and development of plant tissue culture lab.

INTRODUCTION:

I worked to develop my skill sets and interest in research in product development, by following SEDF vision and mission.

I worked to prepare guide book of banana for farmer, entrepreneurs, exporter and students of agriculture ,to provide benefits to agriculture sector by providing technical assistance to agriculture sector.

I also collected basic information and required formalities and facilities to develop PTCL.

During my mandatory summer internship, I had the honor of working under the supervision and guidance

of MR MEHBOOB UL HAQ

Chief Executive Officer, Sindh Enterprise Development Fund

Contact Number: 021 99207512-99207514Email Address: mehboob.haq@gmail.com

INTERNSHIP SUPERVISOR:

A TECHNICAL GUIDE BOOK OF BANANA TO DEVELOP PLANT TISSUE CULTURE LAB.

INTERNSHIP PROJECTS:

To provide technical assistance to growers ,exporter in Oder to over come pre and post harvest problems and export as well.

To spread awareness regarding importance of banana and plant tissue culture lab.

To persuade entrepreneurs to invest in banana and plant tissue culture sector.

To increase production of agricultural commodities.

PURPOSES OF PROJECTS:

To spread awareness about cool chain of banana for extension of shelf life of banana and gain some status in international markets.

To spread awareness about value chain of banana. To spread awareness about investment opportunities

and job creations in banana and plant tissue culture sector.

Pre and post harvest management of banana. Health benefits of banana. Codex standards of banana. International market status of banana. Cool and value chain of banana. Analysis of business operation of banana in pakistan.

TOPICS WE COVERED :

Required facilities and formalities of plant tissue culture lab.

Prices of different equipments of plant tissue culture lab.

To arrange and attend meetings for projects at different offices like TDAP,TCP, DHA PLANT TISSUE CULTURE LAB,HEJ KU,CENTERILIZED SCIENCE LAB ,KU,SBI.

To do desktop research on banana & plant tissue culture & lab before going to attend any official meeting.

To make questionnaires for meetings and discussions..

WORK PLAN AND ACTIVITIES FOR PROJECTS:

To do discussions via Telephone and E mail with different growers, exporter, researchers of sindh & punjab, and sindh agriculture university, faislabad agriculture university, company owners & sales executives.

Daily meetings and discussions with supervisor in order to provide my work progress on going projects of company.

To make meeting’s reports in order to maintain office record.

These are few challenges which I faced during internship.

Difficulties in arranging meetings. Lack of office equipments and staff. Late response by growers and others of e mails. Meetings with supervisor due to schedule conflict and I

had to manage all the work alone. Transportation due to CNG strikes and law and order

situations.

CHALLENGES FACED DURING INTERNSHIP:

BANANA is the 4th largest crop of the world. Banana is staple food for more than 70 million people

in sub sharan africa. Banana is extensively grown in the lower part of

Sindh(pakistan). The total share of Sindh province alone in its

cultivation in the area is 87 per cent and 89 per cent in production.

AN OVERVIEW OF BANANA PROJECT

The area under banana cultivation at the time of independence was only 117 hectares and the production reported was 368 M tons.

According to “Pakistan Statistical Year Book 2011”,out of 34,8000 hectares 32,2000 hectares were grown in sindh province.

Sindh produced 127.4000 tones of banana. The average yield per hectare was 3957 kg in sindh . Average cost of production in sindh is RS 80,000 to

RS 150,000.

Bananas do not grow on trees. The banana plant is classified as an arbores cent (tree-

like) herb . The banana itself is actually considered a BERRY. The correct name for bunch of bananas is a HAND of

bananas; a single banana is a FINGER.

AMAZING BOTANICAL FACT ABOUT BANANA:

FOLLOWING TERMINOLOGIES ARE USED FOR BANANA:

1 banana = 1 finger

5-7 fingers = 1 cluster

15-20 fingers = 1 hand

8-14 hands = 1 bunch(200 banana)

Major districts in Sindh where banana is grown are Thatta Hyderabad Badin Mirpurkhas Sangar Nawabshah khair pur and sukkhar. 

MAJOR DISTRICTS OF BANANA CULTIVATION IN SINDH ARE:

CAVENDISH DWARF (BARSAI) 98% (CONVENTIONAL VARIETY)

MAJOR VARIETIES GROWN IN SINDH ARE:

TISSUE CULTURED VARIETIES:

Grand naine William hybrid

Work is being done on three Chinese cultivar in PARC, islamabad

PISHANG B-10 W-11

Free of cost.(Suckers) Initial extra care is required in tissue culture varieties. Increased cost of production in case of TC variety. Chances of damages, during transportation. (TC

variety)

WHY CONVENTIONAL VARIETY IS PREFERED ??

Banana being perishable fruit needs careful handling, quick transport, sound packing and completions of operations on time.

There are several factors which influence the efficiency of fruit marketing ,it includes rotting of products, seasonal viability ,quality , price and location.

Banana producers avoid marketing because of perishable nature and unreliable prices.

MARKET ANALYSIS:

Lack of modern technology and machinery. Only few big farmers are using new technology. Farmers feels hesitation for the use of new machines. Sad but true there is no research institute in sindh to

solve the problem of growers.

TECHNOLOGY ANALYSIS:

STRENGTHS: Availability of cheap labor. Fertile land. Interest of farmers and landowners in this sector. Availability of local and international markets.

SWOT ANALYSIS OF BANANA SECTOR:

WEAKNESSES: Lack of awareness Character of middlemen and contractor. Bad infrastructure. Lack of information about new technologies.

OPPORTUNITIES: Increasing demand locally and international markets. Introduction of new technologies New research and development in this sector. New research and techniques to control disease.

THREATS: Perishable product. Viral diseases. Post harvest handling. Plantation of unhealthy plants.

PICTORAL VISIT TO BANANAFIELD:

UNOFFICIAL EXPORT’S PROOF,my biggest surprise:

FEW PICTURES OF ASIM AGRICULTURE FARM, SINDH

BANANA IMPORTED FROM INDIA

PLANT TISSUE CULTURE: Plant tissue culture is a method or techniques to isolate

parts of plants(protoplasm, cells, tissues and organs)and grow them on artificial media in aseptic conditions in a controlled space so that parts of these plants can grow and develop into complete plants.

AN OVERVIEW OF PLANT TISSUECULTUTRE PROJECT:

In each laboratory where plant tissue culture techniques are used must have a number of facilities that include among others.

The laboratory conditions should be highly sterilized and aseptic.

The explants should be sterilized before propagation.

REQUIRED FACILITIES FOR PLANT TISSUE CULTURE LAB:

Outdoor media preparation, sterilization and storage Washing room Media preparation room Water(distilled water) Transfer space (laminar air flow)

Culture room Glass wares Microscope Shaker Autoclave chamber

Tools dissection (spatula, scalpels,(tweezers)forceps, scissors)

Shade or green houses Computer for record keeping AC

No NOC is required to run the lab. 2 to 3 persons can run the lab, but they must be

technically well informed. No extra qualification is required to run the lab. 2 years are required for technical back up from lab. No specific rules and regulations are required.

REQUIRED FORMALITIES FOR PTCL

Varieties are not being developed in pakistan, only varieties of different plants are being introduced in pakistan.

BITTER TRUTH:

I have to learn a lot. I am figuring out I am not as good at some things as I

thought I am. I am trying to get better at many skill I considered

myself to already have. Our both sectors banana and plant tissue culture need

attention of authorities. Institutions are not working properly.

MY OPINION THUS FAR AFTER INTERNSHIP :

I Have become quite skill full to arrange official meetings for an organization.

I have become able to write meetings report. I have developed stronger relationship with different

officials, growers, technical managers, exporters. I have become quite able to maintain office record. I have become quite able to take interview or to

discussions with different officials for research and various purposes.

WHAT I HAVE LEARNT:

Writing more reports on different agricultural commodities and official meetings.

More interaction with different officials of government ,private sector ,exporters, growers , researchers, teachers ( I still feel quite uncomfortable and I want to over come it )

I want to attend and arrange more official meetings for learning and discussions.

I want to do more research on banana.

EXPERIENCE I STILL WANT:

I Would like to thanks prof DR SALEEM SHAZAD. I Would like to thanks MR FAISAL FAROOQUE. I would like to thanks MR ZUBAIR MOTIWALA . I would like to thanks MR MEHBOOB UL HAQ I would like to thanks all the officials, researchers ,

growers and all those who co operated with me during my internship .

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: