Belarus investors urged to enter high-yield agri JVs

ISLAMABAD: Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan, minister for national food security and research, on Wednesday invited Belarusian investors for establishing joint agriculture machinery manufacturing company to harvest the true potential of Pakistan’s second largest sector of the economy.

“Joint ventures in agriculture will be beneficial for both countries as they will create job opportunities for skilled and semi skilled workforce of Pakistan on top of providing better returns on the investments of Belarusian businessmen,” the minister said addressing the 4th meeting of Pakistan-Belarus joint working group for agricultural cooperation, organised by the ministry in collaboration with Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC).

“The government is resolved to provide an enabling environment to foreign investors for joint ventures in agriculture sector of the country.”

Bosan said local agriculture sector comprised about 20 percent of national GDP, about 60 percent of the population was directly or indirectly connected with farming, and it was a major source of raw materials for local industry.

“Pakistan was a food-secure country, producing surplus crops of wheat, maize, mangoes, and citrus fruit, fulfilling the requirement of a population of around 220 million,” the minister said adding that the sector was rapidly transforming into modern mechanized farming.

He said this period of transformation was an opportunity for Belarus businessmen to make the most of it by co-investing in different projects with local investors, which will be a win-win situation for both the countries.

“There are so many investment opportunities to explore in the poultry production, halal meat, milk and dairy production, meat and poultry processing, and agriculture equipments,” Bosan said while inviting the businessmen of the landlocked Eastern European country to Pakistan.