Pakistan can achieve fast-track agricultural potential through Chinese partnership: PM Shehbaz

Islamabad (Web Desk): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said Pakistan’s agriculture sector, despite being the foundation of the national economy, still holds enormous untapped potential and can be rapidly transformed through the use of modern technology, higher productivity and closer collaboration with China.

Speaking at the Pakistan-China Agri Investment Conference in Islamabad, he said that with the right approach, meaningful change in the agri-sector could be achieved within months rather than over several years.

The prime minister pointed out that nearly 65 per cent of Pakistan’s population lives in rural areas and depends on agriculture for its livelihood.

He described farming as the backbone of the economy and stressed the urgent need to increase per-acre output by adopting modern farming methods, improving water use and making better use of limited land resources.

The premier said long-term and sustainable growth in agriculture required joint efforts from the federal and provincial governments, farmers, and the scientific and research community.

Emphasising strategic planning, he said Pakistan must carefully determine which crops to produce and export, while developing value chains, cold storage facilities, warehousing and value addition systems to make its agricultural products competitive in global markets.

Referring to China, the prime minister said Beijing had always stood firmly with Pakistan in difficult times and had never hesitated to share its experience, expertise and advanced technologies.

He highlighted the federal government’s initiative of sending 1,000 Pakistani graduates, selected purely on merit, to leading Chinese agricultural universities and research centres.

The premier said the the graduates had returned with modern skills and knowledge and would now play a key role in helping local farmers improve quality, productivity and value addition.

Welcoming remarks made by Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong, PM Shehbaz praised China’s remarkable progress in agriculture, information technology and artificial intelligence, as well as its efficiency in manufacturing and strong export performance.

He said Pakistan must set its sights on achieving a trade surplus in agriculture by raising yields, lowering costs and improving quality, with support from Chinese experts.

Touching on recent economic trends, he said inflation had fallen to 4.5 per cent, the policy rate had come down to 10.5 per cent and exports were showing an upward trend, adding that the country now needed to shift firmly towards growth-driven policies.

The prime minister also expressed hope that President Xi Jinping would visit Pakistan in the near future and said the next phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, known as CPEC 2.0, would open a new chapter with a focus on agriculture, IT, AI, mines and minerals, and youth development.

Addressing the gathering, Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong said China wanted to increase bilateral agricultural trade with Pakistan to one billion dollars while ensuring a trade surplus for Pakistan.

He said he was encouraged by Pakistan’s economic performance under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, noting that the economy grew by more than three per cent last year and achieved a growth rate of 3.7 per cent in the first quarter of the current year.

He said several key indicators were moving in a positive direction, with inflation easing to around four per cent.

Ambassador added that China was strengthening coordination under bilateral action plans and remained ready to expand cooperation with Pakistan, particularly in technology-based agricultural development.

He said that China aimed to keep bilateral trade at around one billion dollars while maintaining Pakistan’s trade surplus.

Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain said Pakistan was fully committed to further strengthening its strategic economic partnership with China by offering a supportive and investor-friendly environment, especially in agriculture and food security.

He said his ministry was prepared to assist Chinese investors by facilitating regulatory processes and ensuring effective coordination with all relevant government institutions.

The minister added that the government wanted Pakistan to be more than just an investment destination, describing it as a place where Chinese companies could grow, innovate and succeed alongside their Pakistani counterparts.