Islamabad (Web Desk): A group of around 300 agricultural graduates from Pakistan departed for China on Wednesday to begin a three-month advanced training program in agriculture and livestock technologies.
This marks the first cohort of the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Initiative for Capacity Building of 1,000 Agricultural Graduates in China.
The initiative is aimed at equipping young Pakistani professionals with the latest knowledge and practical skills in key areas such as agriculture, fisheries, and livestock through exposure to modern techniques and innovations used in China.
The graduates will receive their training at two prestigious institutions in China: North West Agriculture & Forestry University and Yangling Vocational and Technical College.
These institutions are well-known for their excellence in agricultural sciences, food technology, and veterinary sciences.
The training program includes classroom lectures, hands-on workshops in laboratories, and field visits to private and public sector farms, as well as agri-business companies.
This comprehensive training will also include evaluations and assessments to ensure skill acquisition among the participants.
A departure ceremony was held at Islamabad International Airport to see off the graduates.
Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Reforms Ahsan Iqbal, along with officials from the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Ministry for National Food Security and Research, including HEC Adviser (Scholarships) Muhammad Raza Chohan, were present at the occasion.
Addressing the graduates, Ahsan Iqbal congratulated them and highlighted that agriculture remains the backbone of Pakistan’s economy, with the country being among the top ten agriculture-producing nations in the world.
He emphasized the responsibility the graduates carry in making full use of this opportunity to learn about advanced agricultural technologies and applying them for the development of Pakistan’s farming sector.
The minister pointed to China's success in modernizing its agriculture and lifting millions out of poverty, attributing it to political stability and consistent policy-making.
He added that the government is committed to transforming the agriculture sector so that the country becomes a net exporter of agricultural products.
Ahsan Iqbal urged the graduates to treat this training as a mission, act as Pakistan’s brand ambassadors in China, and return with a vision to contribute towards national development.
The prime minister’s initiative was envisioned during his visit to the Yangling Agricultural Technology Demonstration Base in China’s Shaanxi province.
The programme’s short-term training module is designed to help the participants understand the evolution of Chinese agriculture, learn from its experiences, and see firsthand how modern tools and technologies are applied on the ground.
In line with directives from the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, HEC ensured a transparent selection process with special focus on candidates from underrepresented and remote regions, including Balochistan.
The selected graduates expressed their appreciation for the opportunity, acknowledging that such international training would have been difficult to afford without government support.
They thanked the prime minister for prioritizing agriculture and investing in the professional development of the country’s future experts.
Full of enthusiasm, the young agriculturalists looked forward to learning from the experienced Chinese faculty and bringing back the skills and knowledge required to address Pakistan’s pressing issues of food security and agricultural advancement.
