China ready to help boost Pakistan’s farming sector

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China have agreed to broaden agro-cooperation by adopting a comprehensive approach to fast-track communication and implementation to tap the immense potential of the most important sector, a statement said on Monday.

“Agricultural cooperation will set new and important direction that should focus on areas as well as the level of cooperation and finalisation of specific plans,” MA Aiguo, Vice Minister for Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China, said in a meeting with Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar, Minister for Planning, Development & Reform (PD&R).

Aiguo said China was ready to share its expertise and successful agriculture models with Pakistan. Bakhtyar said Pakistan’s agriculture sector employed 45 percent of manpower and contributed about 24 percent in GDP. “It provides livelihood to 64 percent of the country’s rural population and shares 20 percent in total exports,” the minister added. The minister identified that Pak-China agricultural cooperation had to focus on the vertical increase in productivity of existing crops, transfer of knowledge and technologies, seed and plant protection as well disease control, value addition and marketing of agri products including dairy, livestock, and fisheries. “The mutual cooperation should cover the whole basket of agri-sectors,” he added.

Bakhtyar stressed there was a massive potential of developing Pakistan’s agriculture sector and achieving a win-win situation. He pointed out that joint ventures, value-addition, cold chain management for fruits/vegetables, marketing, and branding would help Pakistan overcome the past weaknesses and increase its exports to China and other nations of the world.