Pakistani rice export to China breaks previous records: official

BEIJING: Pakistani exports to China are registering a significant increase and the export of Pakistan rice to China during the first nine months of the current financial year has broken previous records, Pakistan’s Consul General in Shanghai Hussain Haider said.

While representing Pakistan at the China Pakistan Economic Corridor and Belt and Road Initiative Agriculture Cooperation and Exchange Conference in Shanghai, Haider said that this platform will serve to further deepen their partnership in the crucial areas of agriculture and will help modernise Pakistan’s agriculture sector, alleviate poverty, and improve the livelihood of the masses.

Ye Junping, deputy director of Shanghai Municipal Agriculture and Rural Affairs, said that Pakistan and China are all-weather friends and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) enhanced people-to-people relationship.

Secretary and members of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research for Agricultural Cooperation and Exchange participated online from Pakistan and showed a willingness to enhance further cooperation in this sector, China Economic Net (CEN) reported.

Liu Xiangdong, deputy director of Agriculture Trade Promotion Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China, said that a large population in Pakistan are affiliated with the agriculture sector and the Chinese technology companies can help Pakistani farmers improve their production by using smart technologies and new techniques.

Dr Javed Humayun, joint secretary, gave a speech on behalf of the secretary of the Ministry of National Food Security, and said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is the landmark achievement of the two sides that has opened new avenues and opportunities for cooperation.

“This August forum, in fact, reaffirms our commitment for agricultural cooperation for which the foundation stone was jointly laid by the two sides during the visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to China during November 2018 by signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that provided an opportunity for institutional cooperation between [the] Ministry of National Food Security and Research of Pakistan and [the] Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China,” he added.

Pakistan has launched various initiatives not only to enhance the productivity of crops and livestock but also to develop the livelihoods of the people of Pakistan, he said.

These initiatives are first-of-their-kind and present an excellent scheme of collaboration between the federal and provincial governments to yield desired results.

“[The] economy of Pakistan is mainly dependent on our agriculture sector that employs more than 39 per cent of our labour force. Besides, its contribution as a major employer of the labour force, this sector is also central to our economy as a source of raw materials for our industries, including textiles and leather industries,” Javed said.

“I believe that agriculture will be among [the] key areas of cooperation under CPEC. Chinese businessmen together with our private sector can explore opportunities to take benefit from the incentives being offered by the government of Pakistan for the establishment of joint ventures,” he said.

Ghulam Sadiq, member of the Social Sciences Division, Pakistan Agriculture Research Council, said: “I am confident that our future endeavours will facilitate the creation of new jobs and more of our youth will be engaged in joint ventures between Chinese and Pakistani business firms.”

Dr Du Youkang, professor of the Pakistan Study Center of Fudan University, said China needs to strengthen investment in Pakistan, especially in the agriculture sector.

“We want to set up some cooperation centres in universities in Pakistan, and through technology, education, and so we can start with agricultural economic cooperation,” he added.

This year Pakistan and China are celebrating the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations and this conference was also part of those activities.