Key Takeaways
- Pakistan and Australia have agreed to strengthen cooperation in agriculture, research, and biosecurity.
- The focus areas include climate-resilient agriculture, water management, and pest control.
- Both sides discussed potential research initiatives and capacity building for farmers.
Pakistan and Australia have agreed to enhance their cooperation in agriculture, research, and biosecurity, according to a meeting between Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain, and Dr. Suzie Newman, General Manager Partnerships at the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR).
The meeting, held in Islamabad, focused on several key areas, including climate-resilient agriculture, water management, and pest control, with a particular emphasis on biosecurity and plant health.
Both parties discussed the potential for enhanced technical cooperation in climate- and weather-based pest forecasting, GIS-based surveillance, and early-warning systems, as well as invasive pest management and locust preparedness.
The minister highlighted the need to translate research into practical, scalable, and farmer-oriented solutions, especially in climate-resilient agriculture, water management, crop improvement, horticulture, and agricultural value chains.
Dr. Suzie Newman emphasized the focus on demand-driven, locally led research, capacity building, and translating research outcomes into practical benefits for farmers and the wider agricultural sector.
Agricultural biosecurity and plant health were identified as key areas for expanded cooperation, with plans to collaborate on pest identification, molecular diagnostics, DNA bar-coding, pest surveillance, risk analysis, quarantine management, and modern digital plant-health systems.
The meeting also reviewed the ACIAR-funded Water Resilience and Livelihood Improvement in the Southern Indus Basin project, with the minister stressing the need for stronger involvement of relevant Pakistani research institutions to enhance technical implementation, national ownership, and sustainability of the project.
The Australian side appreciated Pakistan’s continued engagement in technical exchanges, capacity-building programs, and institutional cooperation, and emphasized the value of collaboration among research institutions, government agencies, and agricultural stakeholders.
