PM Shehbaz stresses coordination to boost agri exports
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday stressed that effective coordination and partnership between the federal and provincial governments was essential for increasing per-acre agricultural productivity, introducing innovation in agriculture, developing the livestock sector and promoting agricultural exports. Chairing a meeting on promotion of the agriculture sector and enhancement of…
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasized the importance of cooperation between federal and provincial governments on Friday to boost agricultural productivity, introduce innovation in farming, develop the livestock industry, and promote agricultural exports. During a meeting focused on advancing the agriculture sector and enhancing exports, the prime minister directed that concerted efforts be made to enhance Pakistani agricultural products' access to international markets and identify new markets.
He instructed commercial officers stationed at Pakistan's embassies to actively contribute to promoting agricultural exports. The prime minister also advocated for launching a media campaign to educate farmers about the mobile application available for crop monitoring. He highlighted the critical role of the agriculture sector in driving the country's economic growth and stability.
Proposals for the agriculture sector's development and agricultural exports' promotion were discussed during the meeting. It was reported that the nation's agricultural exports amounted to $5.18 billion in the previous fiscal year, with major exports including rice, fisheries, halal meat, potatoes, sesame, tobacco, mangoes, and maize.
The meeting proposed the establishment of value chains to boost agricultural exports. China, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Gulf countries were identified as significant markets for Pakistani agricultural exports. The meeting learned that the National Agriculture and Food Security Council would be operational, with chief ministers representing their respective provinces.
A proposal was discussed to establish a Digital Farmers’ Diary-Agri Stack, which would digitize farmers' nationwide information, agricultural land records, soil, and water testing data. Additionally, a Pakistan-Good Agriculture Practices (Pak-GAP) system would be developed to encourage farming practices that yield better results. Facilities for agricultural financing would be provided to support agriculture exports.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
