Key Takeaways
- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif calls for increased farm productivity and modernisation.
- Agricultural exports reached $5.18 billion last fiscal year, with key products including rice and tobacco.
- Government plans to activate the National Agriculture and Food Security Council and develop value chains.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for coordinated federal and provincial efforts to increase per-acre farm productivity and modernise the agricultural sector, according to a briefing from the Business Recorder.
During a high-level meeting on the agricultural sector and exports, the prime minister highlighted the key role of agriculture in Pakistan’s economic growth and stability.
He stressed the need for coordinated measures to expand access to global markets, identify new export destinations, and promote value addition in agricultural products.
The prime minister directed Pakistan’s commercial officers posted abroad to play an effective role in promoting agricultural exports, aiming to boost the sector’s competitiveness in international markets.
Agricultural exports amounted to $5.18 billion during the last fiscal year, with major products including rice, fisheries, halal meat, potatoes, sesame, tobacco, mangoes, and maize.
The meeting proposed developing value chains to increase agricultural exports, with China, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Gulf countries identified as key markets for Pakistani agricultural products.
The National Agriculture and Food Security Council will be activated, with chief ministers representing their respective provinces. The council will work towards enhancing coordination and modernisation efforts.
The government also plans to facilitate agricultural financing for exporters to support the sector’s growth and increase exports. A Digital Farmers’ Diary-Agri Stack will be created to digitise farmers’ data and agricultural land records nationwide.
A Pakistan Good Agriculture Practices (Pak-GAP) system will be promoted to encourage farming practices that deliver better results. The prime minister emphasised the importance of stronger coordination, modern technology, value addition, and improved financing.
