Business community urges strong cooperation with China in the agricultural sector
Published on: January 17, 2024.
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Pakistan can greatly enhance its agricultural and food cooperation with China to enhance its export contributions. By focusing on niche products, climate-resilient crops, and drought-resistant technology, as well as agritourism and private sector collaboration, both nations can deepen their ties, diversify their exports, and ensure long-term food security.
Rafique Suleman, Convenor of the FPCCI Rice Export Committee 2022-2023 and former Chairman of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan, emphasized this in an exclusive interview with Gwadar Pro. Suleman highlighted the strong agricultural and food cooperation between China and Pakistan, which has included technology transfer, joint ventures, market access, and knowledge sharing. These collaborations have significantly strengthened Pakistan’s agricultural and food capacity, leading to an expansion of its exports.
According to official data, Pakistan’s total agriculture and food exports reached $3.847 billion from July to December 2023, compared to $2.345 billion during the same period last year. This represents an increase of $1.502 billion. It is evident that Pakistan is increasingly relying on agri-food to achieve higher export growth and has also managed to reduce the trade deficit by 34.3% to $11.14 billion in the first half.
During the first half of FY24, Pakistan exported rice worth $1.64 billion, compared to $841 million during the same period last year, indicating a 96% increase. It is projected that rice exports may surpass the $3 billion mark in the current fiscal year.
Rafique Suleman praised the remarkable performance of rice exports in the first half of the year, making it one of the top earners for Pakistan. He explained that both long grain basmati and non-basmati rice from Pakistan are highly favored by rice-importing countries. Additionally, the prices in Pakistan are more cost-effective compared to those of its competitors.
Suleman further emphasized the importance of ensuring long-term soil health and resource management, as well as investing in quality, technology, and marketing to maintain Pakistan’s position as a major rice exporter and achieve sustainable export growth.
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