Pakistan sets up center to boost agricultural growth with $500 million Saudi assistance


https://www.arabnews.pk/node/2333736/pakistan


The center will work in collaboration with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and China on various projects

It aims to enhance modern agro-farming in Pakistan by utilizing over 9 million hectares of uncultivated state land

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has established a Land Information and Management System, Center of Excellence ((LIMS-CoE) to enhance modern agro-farming by utilizing over 9 million hectares of uncultivated state land, a senior official said on Thursday, adding that Saudi Arabia provided an initial $500 million investment to set up the facility.
Pakistan, an agriculture-based economy contributing 23 percent to the GDP and employing 37.4 percent of the labor force, faces recurrent economic hardships. Currently, the productivity remains below par, with a decreasing cultivation area, a population-production gap, and agricultural imports amounting to $10 billion.
According to the World Food Program, around 36.9 percent of Pakistanis are food insecure, with 18.3 percent experiencing severe food crises. The country faces a shortfall of 4 million metric tons in wheat production against a total demand of 30.8 million metric tons, while cotton production has fallen by 40 percent to around 5 million bales in the last decade.
“As far as the high efficiency irrigation system is concerned, Saudi Arabia has already given us [Pakistan] $500 million,” Maj. Gen. Shahid Nazeer, who heads the LIMS-CoE, told reporters at a briefing on Thursday.
“Aimed at enhancing modern agro-farming utilizing over 9 million hectares of uncultivated waste state land, LISM-CoE has been established under the Director General Strategic Projects of Pakistan Army.”
The state-of-the-art system will revolutionize means to steer agricultural development through real-time information about land, crops, weather, water resource and pest-handling under one roof, according to the official.
The center will work in collaboration with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and China on various agri projects to enhance Pakistan’s exports.
“In the next 3-4 days, a very high-powered Saudi delegation is coming to Pakistan to explore this kind of investment in four major sectors including agriculture, mines and minerals, information technology (IT) and defense production,” he said, adding this would be done under the umbrella of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) that was recently established to revive the Pakistani economy.
Nazeer said the LIMS-CoE was aimed at ensuring food security and optimizing agricultural production in Pakistan through innovative technologies and precise, sustainable agricultural practices based on agro-ecological potential of the land, while ensuring the well-being of rural communities and environment preservation.
“The main objectives of the center included consolidation and reclamation of uncultivated waste land, optimal decision; what and where to grow, development of a master plan for modern farming, implementation of state-of-the-art agriculture management practices, practicing agro-intelligence for digital and precision agriculture, better utilization of technology to enhance yield and effective decision support system,” he explained.
The LIMS-CoE recently initiated modern agri-farming projects in Punjab, according to the official. Efforts were being made to use certified hybrid seeds with concurrent development involving joint ventures with multi-national companies, which could pay rich dividends. In agriculture and gardening, a hybrid seed is produced by deliberately cross-pollinating plants that are genetically diverse.
“Hybrid seed gives 30-50 percent more yield, world is using 80 percent hybrid seed, while Pakistan currently uses only 8 percent of hybrid seed,” he added.

The rise in global cotton production is led by the US, Pakistan, and India, with a drop in China's output due to cooler weather conditions.

https://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/textile-news/global-cotton-produ...

Global cotton production in FY24 is forecast to reach a four-year high of 116.7 million bales, up slightly from the previous year, as per USDA.
The rise is led by the US, Pakistan, and India, with a drop in China's output due to cooler weather conditions.
Australia's FY24 cotton production is projected at 5.8 million bales, 300,000 bales above FY23.


World cotton production is projected to reach a four-year high of 116.7 million bales in 2023-24 (FY24), according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The expected growth in production represents a slight increase of 400,000 bales from the previous year.
The increase is predominantly driven by the major cotton-producing countries, with the US and Pakistan leading the charge. Both countries are projected to see a significant rise in production, each adding 2 million bales to the global yield. India is also expected to contribute to the surge, albeit on a lesser scale, with an additional half a million bales.

However, these gains will be partially offset by a reduction in output from China, the world's leading cotton producer. The Chinese crop is anticipated to shrink by 3.7 million bales in the 2023-24 season due to cooler than normal temperatures early in the growing season in China's Xinjiang region, which could limit yield potential. This decrease means China's contribution to global cotton production is expected to shrink from 26 per cent in 2022-23 to 23 per cent in 2023-24, as per USDA’s Cotton and Wool Outlook: June 2023 report.

Meanwhile, India is set to buck this trend with a projected 2-per cent increase in cotton production from the 2022-23 crop. This rise comes despite an expected reduction in harvested area, with alternative crops predicted to reduce cotton acreage to 12.4 million hectares. A rebound in yield is set to offset this, with the national yield forecast at 448 kg per hectare, the highest in three years. India's share in global cotton production is set to remain steady at approximately 22 per cent.

Outside of the US, other countries including Brazil, Pakistan, and Australia are also projected to see an increase in cotton production. Brazil's output is expected to hit 13.25 million bales, slightly above the 2022-23 figure and second only to 2019-20's record of nearly 13.8 million bales.

Pakistan's cotton production is set to rebound from the nearly four-decade low of 3.9 million bales recorded in 2022-23 due to flood damage. The forecast production of 5.9 million bales for 2023-24 will account for 5 per cent of global production.

Lastly, Australia's 2023-24 cotton production is projected at 5.8 million bales, 300,000 bales above 2022-23 and close to 2021-22’s record of 5.85 million bales, supported by above-average reservoir levels.

Rice exports earn Pakistan $2.1bn in tumultuous FY23


https://www.dawn.com/news/1767422


Despite significant production losses and other major challenges, Pakistan exported a total of 3.717 million tonnes of rice to earn $2.149 billion in FY23.

The rice sector showed strong resilience and immense resistance despite head and tail winds like devastating floods that wiped out one-third of Sindh’s crop, wavering rupee movement, tough competition from India, high freight charges as well as unavailability of vessels during the first six months of 2022-23.

The export of basmati varieties of rice stood at 595,120 tonnes fetching $650,423 at an average per tonne (APT) rate of $1,092. Coarse or non-basmati varieties’ export touched 3.122 million tonnes, fetching $1.498bn at an APT rate of $480.

In the preceding year, the country fetched $2.5bn by making export shipments of 4.8m tonnes.

Exports have been mainly hit by a drop in production, as against 9.1 million tonnes output during 2021-22, the country could harvest around 6 million tonnes of rice in FY23, a fall of over 34pc.

Floods and torrential rains had damaged paddy crops, particularly in Sindh and south Punjab districts and the overall crop losses had been estimated at around 20pc.

At least 35pc of the standing rice crop had been damaged in Sindh and 29pc in south Punjab while other rice-growing areas were partially hit by excessive heatwaves which affected the yields and the losses were reflected in the exports.

Hamid Malik, an expert on the rice trade, told Dawn that India had manipulated prices to facilitate its exporters by offering subsidies to farmers.

“This subsidy was in fact for the exporters and not the farming community as Indian rice export rates remained $60 to $70 lower than that of Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam in the international markets throughout the year.”

Higher basmati rates in the local market also affected its exports as stockists entered the local market and made their hey through speculative trade.

Samiullah Naeem, a former chairman of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP), says that basmati rice was available in the market at Rs8,500 per 40kg at the beginning of the crop season but within a couple of months the rate crossed even Rs12,000 per 40kg making it difficult for the exporters to fulfil their export commitments.

He says that speculative traders were the major beneficiaries of the price hike though rice growers and millers also benefited from it to some extent.

The export prospects for the current fiscal year seem to be promising as quotations for 25pc broken rice are being reported at $535 per tonne to their highest level since August 2008. The main push behind the rate hike is stated to be a ban by India on the export of its coarse rice varieties.

Pakistan aims to export 5 million tonnes of rice amid India ban

https://www.geo.tv/latest/502787-pakistan-aims-to-export-5-million-...


The REAP chief was optimistic about Pakistan achieving its goal of 5 million tonnes of rice worth $3 billion in the current fiscal year, which began in July.

---------------

"Pakistan expected a bumper rice crop this year," REAP chief says.
Country exported 3.7m tonnes rice valued at $2.14b last fiscal year.
This year, Kewlani says, Pakistan can export 5m tonnes of rice.

KARACHI: Pakistan's rice exports are projected to rise in the current fiscal year due to the Indian ban on rice exports and the exploration of new markets in Russia and Mexico, the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) said, according to The News.

REAP Chairman Chela Ram Kewlani said Pakistan exported 3.7 million tonnes of rice valued at $2.14 billion in the previous fiscal year, despite facing various challenges.

"Despite devastating floods, crop shortage and many other challenges, we exported 3.7 million tonnes amounting to $2.14 billion," he said.

The REAP chief was optimistic about Pakistan achieving its goal of 5 million tonnes of rice worth $3 billion in the current fiscal year, which began in July.

"India's ban on rice exports will have significant impacts on global rice trade dynamics. This will give a good opportunity for Pakistan to fill the supply gap and expand its market share in major rice-buying countries."

India, the world's biggest rice exporter, banned exports of non-basmati rice last month to ensure domestic supplies amid rising food inflation. Kewlani said Pakistan could benefit from higher export volumes and increased revenues as a result of the ban.

"Overall, the ban may create a favorable trade environment for Pakistan's rice exports." Industry officials said Pakistan's basmati rice prices soared to $500 per tonnes in the international market, up almost $100 from a month ago, as demand surged after the export ban by India.

Pakistani rice is enjoying a premium for its superior quality and could rise further to $600 per tonnes in the coming months, one trader said. "Pakistan has a golden opportunity to boost its rice exports and earn valuable foreign exchange as India has banned its rice exports due to drought." he said.

Pakistan is the world's fourth-largest rice exporter after India, Thailand, and Vietnam. Kewlani said Pakistani non-basmati rice, which was selling at $450 per tonnes before the ban, had also jumped to $500 per tonnes as buyers shifted to alternative sources.

He also said that Russia had registered 15 more Pakistani companies to export rice to the country and 12 more were in the process of registration. "This opportunity will also be beneficial for generation of extra foreign exchange for our country, as Russia is a big and potential market for Pakistani rice."

Kewlani added that a recent visit by Mexican technical experts had gone well and they were satisfied with the compliance of standard operating procedures by Pakistani rice exporters. He hoped that Mexico would soon lift a ban on Pakistani rice and resume imports.

He said Pakistan expected a bumper rice crop this year, with an annual output of around 9 million tonnes. "We hope that we can easily achieve our target of 5 million tonnes worth $3 billion this year."

In Pakistan, flood damage meant 2022/23 cane sugar production reduced to 7.2 mln tonnes compared to 8.6 mln tonnes in 21/22. The area under cane remains consistent with last season, but reduced fertilisers prices could push 23/24 sugar production to 7.8 mln tonnes.


https://www.ragus.co.uk/global-sugar-market-report-may-2023/#:~:tex....

Unpredictable rains in India and Pakistan squeeze cane production
Estimates for India’s sugar production from the 2022/23 cane crop are below the decreased figure we estimated last October. The 35.6 mln tonnes we expect is much lower than the 39 mln tonnes produced in 21/22. Any further exports onto the global market this season seem unlikely, despite India having an export quota of 6 mln tonnes for the world market.

Despite an increased area under cane, low rainfall during the growing season and too much rain just before the harvest began resulted in lower cane yields. For the 2023/24 crop, the area under cane has increased again. If the monsoon rainfall is average, we expect India to produce 36.4 mln tonnes of sugar. However, that figure only holds if there are no major increases in cane juice or molasses diverted into ethanol production. In 22/23 the equivalent of 4.5 mln tonnes of sugar was used for ethanol production. In 23/24, we expect that figure to be 3.78 mln tonnes.

If an El Niño weather pattern develops, dry conditions would affect cane planting for the 24/25 crop. In neighbouring Pakistan, flood damage meant 2022/23 cane sugar production reduced to 7.2 mln tonnes compared to 8.6 mln tonnes in 21/22. The area under cane remains consistent with last season, but reduced fertilisers prices could push 23/24 sugar production to 7.8 mln tonnes.

In its first official assessment for 2023-24 (May-April), the government of Pakistan is forecasting the country’s wheat production to grow 6% to a record 28 million tonnes, according to a Global Agricultural Information Network report from the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the US Department of Agriculture.

https://www.world-grain.com/articles/18730-pakistan-expecting-recor...


“In recent years, abnormally hot and humid weather near harvest negatively affected output,” FAS Post Islamabad said. “This year, however, the weather was favorable throughout the growing season, resulting in record output. Government policies ensured adequate supply of seeds and other inputs throughout the growing cycle.”


Punjab, the major wheat-growing province, produced more than 1 million tonnes than last year, reaching 21.2 million tonnes. Production in other provinces — Sindh (3.8 million), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (1.4 million) and Baluchistan (1.6) — was almost the same as last year.

The record harvest will help lower the country’s forecasted import needs from 3 million to 2 million tonnes in 2023-24 even as total consumption grows to 30.2 million tonnes from 29.2 million tonnes. Pakistan imported 2.6 million tonnes last marketing year.

“Domestic demand continues to expand with population growth, and the record crop production will still be insufficient to meet domestic needs,” the FAS said.

The government has procured about 6 million tonnes of wheat from the domestic market to replenish its strategic reserves, and government stocks as of mid-June were about 10 million tonnes, the FAS said. The government is expected to start releasing wheat to millers in August, which is later than last year. Until then, millers will buy wheat from the open market.

Prospects for the 2023-24 rice crop remain good, and the production forecast is unchanged. Weather during seeding and transplanting in May through June was optimum in the rice-growing areas. Rainfall was good, which reduced the need for irrigation water. The 9-million-tonne forecast, if realized, will be the second-largest crop ever, slightly less than the record 9.3-million-tonne crop in 2021-22.

Pakistan’s potato production soared to 7.9m tonnes in Fiscal Year 2022 from 5.8m tonnes in FY 2021, up by 35% as floods did not hit Punjab which is a hub of potato production, Pakistan Today! cited data reveals.


https://www.potatobusiness.com/market/pakistan-can-become-one-of-ch...


There is a gradual increase in potato production in this country. During 2020, potato production was estimated to be 4.55m tons utilizing the cultivated area of 234,400 hectares. However, in the 2021- 2022 season, according to the Ministry of National Food Security and Research Statistics (MNFS&R), potato production jumped to 7.74m tons, which is an increase of almost 50% as compared to the last year.

Pakistan potato is exported mainly to CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) countries like Russia, Azerbaijan, Iraq, UAE, Oman, the entire gulf, and Singapore, Malaysia in the Far East.

In Pakistan, potato is the fourth most important crop after wheat, rice, and corn. It is one of the four major staples that significantly contribute to national domestic consumption and food needs.

Fresh potato production for the 2022-2023 Marketing Year (September to August) is forecast at 93m metric tons (MMT), a slight decrease from the estimated 95 MMT produced in MY 2021-2022 owing to reduced acreage. According to industry sources, the potato planting area decreased in the northern single crop zone, especially in northeast China, due to government incentives and price supports intended to boost soybean production.

Low prices at the start of the harvest season in the Southwestern, Central, and Winter crop zones, which account for half of China’s fresh potato production, also contributed to the reduction in planted area for MY 2022/23. According to China’s 2022 Agricultural Outlook Report on Potatoes, the average wholesale price of fresh potatoes in 2021 was USD0.15/lb., a 12.7% decline from 2020, and the lowest level in six years.

#Arab Gulf Nations (#SaudiArabia, #Qatar, #UAE) Poised to Invest Billions in #Pakistan.
#Islamabad’s powerful #military has sought to ease the path for oil-rich monarchies to acquire stakes in #mining (#copper, #gold) & #energy (#refinery) https://www.wsj.com/articles/gulf-nations-poised-to-invest-billions... via @WSJ

The Saudis are in talks to buy into a copper mine being developed at a cost of $7 billion by Canada’s Barrick Gold in western Pakistan, according to people familiar with the project. Separately, negotiations are at an advanced stage to set up a Saudi oil refinery in Pakistan, which could cost up to $14 billion, according to Islamabad and Gulf officials.

For the Gulf states, the deals represent a shift from when they provided loans or grants to poorer countries in the region, such as Pakistan or Egypt, to a new focus on acquiring assets for their sovereign-wealth funds.

Pakistan, a nuclear-armed nation of 240 million, has been racked by an economic crisis and political instability. It reached an agreement with the International Monetary Fund in June on another bailout.

Its powerful military, which has clamped down on political freedoms in recent months, is seeking to ease the path for investment by streamlining the deal-making process for Gulf investors, who had complained about red tape and political indecision in the past.

Mining, energy infrastructure, farmland and privatizations of Pakistani government businesses could all be part of the planned selloff to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, which are increasingly competing for assets in struggling political allies.

This summer, Islamabad established the Special Investment Facilitation Council, which includes the army chief, to smooth the bureaucratic path for Gulf investment.

“Pakistan is strategically located, at the junction of the engines of growth in Asia, between south Asia, central Asia, China and the Middle East,” said Ahsan Iqbal, Pakistan’s departing planning minister, who also heads the executive committee of the Special Investment Facilitation Council. “There is a very big opportunity for investors to come here, as long as we can give them assurance that there will be continuity of policy for their investment.”

The Saudi deputy mining and foreign ministers visited Islamabad this month for talks about the investment initiative.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Wednesday that Parliament would dissolve, ahead of elections that are likely to be delayed into next year. The installment of a nonpolitical caretaker government in Islamabad in the next few days, to oversee the period up to the next election, is expected to kick-start the deals. New powers have been given to the caretaker administration, which will likely be under even greater influence of the military, to enable it to make major economic decisions.

The army is Pakistan’s dominant institution, a permanent power in a country where no prime minister has completed a term in office. The Gulf has long dealt directly with Pakistan’s army, the sixth largest in the world, which has provided a contingent of troops to Saudi Arabia for decades. The first overseas trip for Pakistan’s current army chief, Gen. Asim Munir, was to Saudi Arabia, where he met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in January.

A splurge in Pakistan is expected to come from government-owned entities in the Gulf, which in recent years have invested in Egypt, a country also in the midst of an asset sale, as well as Sudan, Ethiopia and elsewhere in the Horn of Africa.

“For the Gulf, Pakistan and Egypt are a regional security priority,” said Karen E. Young, a researcher at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. “They absolutely cannot afford to see a failed state in Egypt or Pakistan.”

#Arab Gulf Nations (#SaudiArabia, #Qatar, #UAE) Poised to Invest Billions in #Pakistan.
#Islamabad’s powerful #military has sought to ease the path for oil-rich monarchies to acquire stakes in #mining (#copper, #gold) & #energy (#refinery) https://www.wsj.com/articles/gulf-nations-poised-to-invest-billions... via @WSJ

Egypt and Pakistan offer big populations, large tracts of arable land and huge armies, all attributes lacking in the Gulf, said Faisal Aftab, founder of Pakistan-based Zayn Venture Capital.

“This is a last chance for Pakistan,” said Aftab. “It needs to leverage in investment.”

Iqbal, the planning minister, said Pakistan was hoping for deals worth around $25 billion, including in solar energy and information technology. Pakistan’s defense industries are also open for investment, and the country is prepared to offer uncultivated government land on long leases for agriculture.

The Gulf nations haven’t put figures in recent weeks on how much they might spend. In January this year, the Saudis said they were willing to invest $10 billion, after Pakistan’s army chief visited.

Economic crises in Egypt and Pakistan, which have been buffeted by higher fuel and food prices from the Russia-Ukraine war and seen their currencies plummet, mean that assets are potentially available on the cheap. But Riyadh has still balked at prices in Egypt, meaning fewer deals than anticipated have materialized so far. Pakistan will also have to manage competition between Gulf nations for assets, already being felt, especially between Saudi Arabia and U.A.E., which have strained relations.

Among the first contracts likely to attract interest, from both U.A.E. and Qatar, is a tender announced this week, by open bidding, to run terminal services at Islamabad airport. The two Gulf countries fiercely competed for the contract to run Kabul airport in Pakistan’s neighbor Afghanistan, a contest won last year by the U.A.E. Islamabad is also looking for investors to take on its national carrier, Pakistan International Airlines.

Musadik Malik, Pakistan’s departing petroleum minister, said that a deal for a Saudi refinery was “very close.” Saudi Aramco, the company named by Pakistani officials as its partner for the project, declined to comment. The refinery would likely be located at Gwadar, the port developed by China on the Arabian Sea, and the centerpiece of Beijing’s investment program in ally Pakistan. Riyadh is moving closer to Beijing, at the expense of its relationship with Washington.

Officials from both sides are aiming for a final deal on the refinery—which would be the country’s biggest—by the end of this year, with construction to begin early in 2024.

Malik said that he anticipated a series of mining deals that would be much bigger in value than the refinery contract.

“We have enormous untapped resources just sitting there,” he said.

The obvious prize is copper, a metal needed in the transition to cleaner energy. One of the world’s biggest new copper mines is expected to begin production in 2028. The Reko Diq mine is a joint venture between Barrick Gold and the government of Pakistan, in a remote part of the country hit by two violent insurgencies.

Talks are under way for the Saudis to buy into the Reko Diq mine. The Saudi sovereign-wealth fund, Public Investment Fund, would team up with Saudi mining company Ma’aden, to acquire part of the 50% stake in the mine owned by Pakistan, according to people involved. In addition, the Saudis could be given exploration rights in other parts of the copper-rich area.

#Arab Gulf Nations (#SaudiArabia, #Qatar, #UAE) Poised to Invest Billions in #Pakistan.
#Islamabad’s powerful #military has sought to ease the path for oil-rich monarchies to acquire stakes in #mining (#copper, #gold) & #energy (#refinery) https://www.wsj.com/articles/gulf-nations-poised-to-invest-billions... via @WSJ

Riyadh has ambitions to turn Ma’aden into a global company, but it is wary of the security risks at the Pakistani mine. In July, Saudi Arabia said it would buy a $2.5 billion stake in Brazilian mining company Vale, also through the same fund and Ma’aden.

For Islamabad, there are strategic advantages to tying Saudi Arabia in, while Barrick has joined with Saudi Arabia elsewhere too. Barrick and Ma’aden didn’t respond to requests for comment. The Public Investment Fund declined to comment.

The Saudis are the most interested in the mining opportunities, say officials and experts, while the U.A.E. is looking most keenly at agriculture, clean energy and logistics.

Just ahead of the launch of the Gulf initiative, the U.A.E. swooped in early, acquiring a 50-year lease in June to operate part of the container terminal at Karachi port. The financial terms weren’t disclosed for the deal, which was awarded without an open bidding process. Many coming transactions are also not expected to involve competitive bidding, Pakistani officials say. That approach could open the divestments up to domestic controversy.

Pakistan expects Middle Eastern investment following inaugural food and agriculture exhibition


https://www.arabnews.com/node/2353116/pakistan


A top Pakistani official expressed confidence on Thursday the country would get increased investment from the Middle East after inaugurating the first International Food and Agriculture Exhibition in Karachi to display the export potential of Pakistan’s agriculture sector.

Organized by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), the three-day exhibition was launched by the governor of Sindh province, Kamran Tessori, at the Karachi Expo Center. The event has brought together over 200 exhibitors who have put a wide range of agriproducts and technologies on show for foreign delegates from 55 countries.

Addressing the media after the inauguration ceremony, Tessori mentioned a recent agreement signed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to develop the Karachi port.

“You will see in the coming days that all the gulf states will come to Pakistan and sign agreements like the UAE,” Tessori said, adding: “In the future, these agreements will be signed by governments themselves.”

UAE’s Abu Dhabi Ports signed a 50-year concession agreement with the Karachi Port Trust earlier this year to develop a bulk and general cargo terminal in the southern port city.

According to details, Pakistan is likely to see an estimated investment of $220 million over a period of 10 years under the project.

The governor said the country’s leadership had become serious about economic development for the first time in its history.

“For the first time in 75 years, the development of Pakistan’s economy has been taken seriously and there will not be any obstruction in the way,” he said.

He maintained that he was confident the country’s exports would increase at least three times by the coming year.

Tessori said over 600 foreign delegates were attending the exhibition which reflected that investor confidence had been restored in Pakistan.

Speaking to Arab News, Sayed Mohey, a commercial manager at Jeddah-based Jahaf Group that deals with fruits and vegetables, said he was impressed by Pakistan’s export potential.

“This is my first visit to the county,” he said. “As far as the business is concerned, there is lot of potential for food stuff like fruits, vegetables, and fisheries.”

He maintained that Pakistan was ideally placed to serve the markets in gulf countries and Saudi Arabia. Mohey specifically mentioned Pakistani mangoes and citrus fruits, calling them the best in the world and saying they were suitable for consumers in the Middle East.

A Nigerian delegation also said they were visiting Pakistan while looking for the good quality food products.

“Most of the Nigerian delegates who are here today actually saw what they want and they are buying it and taking it home,” Unegbu Alexander Nwachukwu, trade and development officer at the High Commission of Pakistan in Nigeria, told Arab News.

A large number of Chinese were also present at the exhibition and looking for products either to import or export from Pakistan.

Alan Xi, an agriculture project manager at the China Machinery Engineering Corporation, said Pakistan’s agriculture sector had great potential and his company was ready to invest in the country.

“Pakistan is an agricultural country and has a big potential in the supply chain and even value-added parts,” he told Arab News. “So, as a company, we are also ready for investing in the supply chain and value addition.”

“In the future, we will not only want to supply some advanced technology to Pakistan but also like to have our own manufacturers [here],” he continued. “The manufacturer unit is from China, but made in Pakistan.”

Pakistani exporter also expressed optimism the event would help boost the country’s agriculture product exports from the country.

Chinese red chilli contract farming opens vistas for development in Pakistan’s agri sector | Pakistan Today


https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2023/07/05/chinese-red-chilli-cont...

“We turn them three to four times a day so that they get dry after being soaked in the summer sun, they get fully ripe and dry in five weeks, and when we hear the sound of dried seeds rattling inside the pod, we pack them in bags and put them in storage, Bibi told Xinhuain the remote village of Jamber.

This year, farmers and labourers are happy to get a bumper harvest of Chinese red chillies and expect to get good profits as the yield is double that of other varieties of pepper available in Pakistan.

The project is a part of a large-scale agricultural cooperation between Pakistan and China in the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is currently underway after the success of the first phase focusing on infrastructure and power projects.

Launched in 2013, CPEC is a corridor linking Gwadar Port with Kashgar in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and is touted as a game changer for Pakistan by local experts.

Advancing cooperation in the agricultural sector, China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) and Sichuan Litong Food Group have established a company and carried out a red chilli contract farming project in 2021, with model farms across Punjab.

In talks with Xinhua, Xi Jianlong, the Chinese manager from CMEC at Pakistan-China red chilli contract farming, said that the Chinese variety is compatible with local soil and the overall hot climate of Punjab province conduces to the growth and nourishing of the Chinese chilli variety.

He added that the cooperation benefits numerous individuals, including landowners, farmers, and labourers.

“Last year, we had created more than 2,000 jobs in Pakistan and generated an output value of approximately $770,000,” he said, adding that when the crop is harvested and dried, they directly buy it from the farmer, without involving any middlemen.

He further said that this year, they planted chilli on about 750 acres of land from where about 1,500 tons of chilli were harvested, and during the process of cultivation to harvest, the Chinese company not only transferred knowledge and technology to locals but also utilized the rural labour force.

Talking to Xinhua, Muhammad Ammar Asghar, an agronomist working with the CMEC, said that most of the farmers hired by the landowners are uneducated. In order to help the landowner get a high yield, the Chinese company provided complete assistance and guidance to the farmers through agronomists and agriculture technicians.

Annual milk production during 2021/2022 was estimated approximately 65.7 million tonnes, giving Pakistan a place in the list of world's top 5 milk producing countries. Dairy farming in Pakistan is fragmented and practiced on various scales both in rural and peri-urban areas mainly by private sector.

https://sdgs.un.org/sites/default/files/2023-05/B65%20-%20Tariq%20-...

Dairy sector in Pakistan plays a pivotal role in the national economy and its value is more than the
combined value of major cash-crops i.e. wheat and cotton. Annual milk production during 2021/2022 was
estimated approximately 65.7 million tonnes, giving Pakistan a place in the list of world’s top 5 milk
producing countries. Dairy farming in Pakistan is fragmented and practiced on various scales both in rural
and peri-urban areas mainly by private sector. However, this industry is facing challenges (nutrition,
healthcare, breeding, government support and public health) that threaten its sustainability and
livelihoods of millions of people involved in the sector

Google Gen AI on Agtech in Pakistan:

Pakistan is one of the world's largest producers and suppliers of food and crops. The country's agriculture sector consists of four subsectors:
Food and fiber crops
Horticulture and orchards
Livestock and dairy
Fisheries and forestry
Pakistan's major crops include wheat, cotton, rice, sugarcane, and maize. These crops contribute around 4.9% to the country's total GDP.
Some of the top agriculture startups in Pakistan include: Pak Agri Market, ZD&K Farms, Radical Growth, Mohalla, Khalis Fertilizers.
Some of the top agritech startups in Pakistan include:
Tazah Technologies
Agriculture Republic Pakistan
Crop2X Private Limited
Fowrry Technologies Private Limited
zamindar
SUSTAINABLE AGRI IS
Startups in Pakistan are developing IoT solutions for smart irrigation, such as solar-powered tube wells, or for animal data, such as Cowlar, a solar-powered fitbit for cows.

Why aren’t farmers using new tech?
Kai Ryssdal and Sofia Terenzio
Aug 30, 2023

https://www.marketplace.org/2023/08/30/why-arent-farmers-using-new-...

Agtech, short for agriculture technology, is a growing industry that’s using data tools and software to help farmers improve yields and use fewer resources.

With population growth increasing the global demand for food and climate change hurting crop yields, a swift adoption of agtech may be needed now more than ever. Yet, farmers are hesitant about embracing these new technologies.

What’s in the way of farmers quickly adopting agtech, and how can the industry get more farmers on board?

“Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal talked to reporter Belle Lin from the Wall Street Journal about her recent article on why so few farmers are using agtech. Below is an edited transcript of their conversation.

Kai Ryssdal: Could we have a quick primer, please? What is agtech?


Belle Lin: Absolutely. Agriculture technology, agtech is really the set of tools — both hardware and software — that enables farmers growers to really get the most out of their farming resources and inputs and up boosting their yields. So that’s really the goal of this kind of current wave of farm technology. But it’s really the kind of larger ecosystem software, hardware, robotics, tractors autonomous maybe that allow farmers to kind of do their work with greater efficiency.

Ryssdal: So two things that you said there one yield and current wave, we’ll get to the yield in a minute. But I want to talk about current wave, because as you pointed out, in this piece, it’s been a decade-ish, that that sort of the bigger picture, agtech thing has been a thing.

Lin: That’s right. So it’s about a decade since data analytics and what’s sometimes known as Big Data came around. So, these massive amounts of data that oftentimes companies collect, can also be collected on Americans farms, where some of the environments where the richest data is to be collected. You can collect it on almost every single specific piece of land on the soil itself on the seeds that are planted, where they’re planted down to the type of pesticide that is applied to a single weed where that weed is located. So you can understand, you know, how specific these things can get. And that’s related to this idea of precision agriculture, where all these like very specific inputs tailored to a specific farm, help a farmer to end up doing their work in a way that’s more informed by that data, and boosts their yields with fewer resources.

Ryssdal: Right, so to that yield thing, that’s the name of this whole game — it’s getting more stuff out of the ground per acre farmed than they did before. And there’s an amazing statistic in here it says, according to the Department of Agriculture in 2017, farmers using digital soil maps, which are part of this technology produced about 49% higher winter wheat yields than farmers who didn’t. Again, that’s USDA data. And yet, the thrust of this piece is that farmers almost have too much data and kind of know what to do with it.

Lin: Yeah, absolutely. So not only is there this kind of challenge of getting farmers to use these tools, but once they’ve used them, they face this kind of data paralysis, which is how a farmer described this to me, he’s farming corn and soybean. He feels like he’s collecting so much data on all these different parts of his farm, that he doesn’t know what to do with it. And so that’s a huge problem as well across sectors where, you know, big data, data analytics has promised to kind of deliver all these efficiencies and productivity gains. But oftentimes, what consumers and these farmers feel is that they don’t have that background to say, “OK, now that I know the moisture levels of all my soil, this is what I should do,” right.

Why aren’t farmers using new tech?
Kai Ryssdal and Sofia Terenzio
Aug 30, 2023

https://www.marketplace.org/2023/08/30/why-arent-farmers-using-new-...

Lin: Yeah, absolutely. So not only is there this kind of challenge of getting farmers to use these tools, but once they’ve used them, they face this kind of data paralysis, which is how a farmer described this to me, he’s farming corn and soybean. He feels like he’s collecting so much data on all these different parts of his farm, that he doesn’t know what to do with it. And so that’s a huge problem as well across sectors where, you know, big data, data analytics has promised to kind of deliver all these efficiencies and productivity gains. But oftentimes, what consumers and these farmers feel is that they don’t have that background to say, “OK, now that I know the moisture levels of all my soil, this is what I should do,” right.

Ryssdal: I do not want to sound by any means ageist here, and apologies to the young farmers out there. But the average age of a farmer in this economy right now, as you point out is like 58.

Lin: Yeah, and that’s a big problem. Those folks are not as accustomed to utilizing technology to help inform their decisions.

Ryssdal: This is perhaps a little bit of field. But there’s an infrastructure part of this as well, right, in that a lot of almost all of this probably counts on connectivity and broadband. And I imagine if you’re out in in wherever you are on the Great Plains connectivity might be bad, you might not have service.

Lin: Yeah, that’s a great point. All of what we’re talking about in terms of agtech relies on having that internet connection, reliable way of streaming the data that you collect. And so connectivity is a major problem on farms that are far flung or not as connected to the internet speeds that people in cities are used to. And so one of the problems that farmers run into is that when they’re driving their equipment over a hill, for instance, you might have connectivity and one side of the hill, but you don’t on the other.

Ryssdal: Not to put a depressing punctuation mark on this conversation, but there are — I honestly can’t remember if it’s 8 or 9 billion people on this planet now — but there are going to be more in the future. And we have to feed them all. And this is part of the way we’re going to do it and adjust to climate change too, by the way.

Lin: Yeah, theoretically, farmers could boost their yields, and that would generate more food to feed the world’s growing and hungry population, and also in a way that they’re using fewer resources. So that’s the promise of it all, but right now it’s falling a bit short.

Pakistan Onion Industry Outlook 2022 - 2026

https://www.reportlinker.com/clp/country/3697/726402#:~:text=On%20t....

In 2021, Pakistan's onion consumption and production were estimated at almost 2 million metric tons. This marks an increase of 1% from 2017. Bangladesh was the leading consumer of onions in 2021, accounting for 1.87 million metric tons. India, the United States and Egypt ranked second, third and fourth, respectively.

On the production side, Pakistan was the sixth-largest onion producer in 2021, with an estimated 2.25 million metric tons. Iran was the leading producer, with 2.11 million metric tons. India, the United States and Egypt ranked second, third and fourth, respectively.

https://blog.plantwise.org/2023/05/23/overcoming-gender-barriers-to...

Tomato is an important crop in Pakistan – every year, the country produces 4.2 million tonnes of tomatoes. Growing them can be labour intensive. But research shows that tomato production has the potential to generate good incomes for rural smallholders. This includes incomes for women farmers. In Pakistan, women account for over 60% of active agricultural labour force. They mainly support crop cultivation, which involves activities such as seed preparation, sowing and weeding.

Drought and floods wipe out farms in Asia’s chilli capital | Climate Crisis News | Al Jazeera

https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2022/11/3/photos-drought-and-floo...

Pakistan is ranked fourth in the world for chilli production, with 150,000 acres (60,700 hectares) of farms producing 143,000 tonnes annually. Agriculture forms the backbone of Pakistan’s economy, leaving it vulnerable to climate change.

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PRODUCTION STATUS OF MAJOR VEGETABLES IN PAKISTAN

https://agrinfobank.com.pk/production-status-of-major-vegetables-in...

The total cropped area of the country reported for the year 2019, was 22.1 million ha. Out of this 65.8% was under food crops, 24.2% under cash crops, 6.7% under pulses and 3.3% under edible oilseeds. Vegetables constitute an integral component of the cropping pattern but the increasing pressure on food and cash crops has limited the area under vegetables to about 0.62 million ha, which is 3.1% of the total cropped area. Vegetables fit well in most farming systems due to shorter maturity period.

Vegetable crops are very important due to their higher yield potential, higher return and high nutritional value and suitability for small land holding farmers. Vegetables provide proteins, minerals and vitamins required for human nutrition. In Pakistan, the daily per capita intake is low, being about 100 grams compared to the recommended consumption of about 285 grams. In view of population increase, land degradation and water scarcity, there is a need to substantially increase vegetable production in the years to come and to attain self-sufficiency as well as to increase the exportable surplus. However, in the past, development efforts in agriculture sector were primarily focused on production and development of cereal crops; in spite of the fact the vegetables provide maximum output per unit area.

From Google Gen AI:


Pakistan produced 83,335 tons of spinach in 2021. This is a very low amount compared to the largest spinach producing countries, which include China, Turkey, United States, Japan, and Indonesia.
In Pakistan, spinach is ready for the first cutting 30 days after sowing. The average yield is 125 qtl/acre. The two varieties of spinach in Pakistan are Local Sindhi and prickly heat.
In 2021, Pakistan's vegetable production was 7.07 million tonnes. This is an increase from 1.43 million tonnes in 1972.

From Google Gen AI:

Pakistan's fruit production increased from 9.48 million metric tons to 11.13 million metric tons between 2018 and 2021.
In 2021, Pakistan produced 2.33 million tonnes of citrus fruits, which is an average annual growth rate of 3.95%.
Pakistan also produced 1.6 million tons of oranges, 593 thousand tons of tangerines, 1,601 thousand tons of tomatoes, and 545 thousand tons of apples.
Pakistan is a major producer of fruits and vegetables, and produces about 29 types of fruits and 33 types of vegetables. However, most of the production is consumed in domestic markets.
Pakistan earned $730 million by exporting 1.165 million tons of fruits and vegetables in a year.
The global production of major tropical fruits was estimated to be 92.2 million tons in 2017. Mango production ranked highest at 46 million tons.

Pakistan aims to boost oilseed cultivation

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2430331/pakistan-aims-to-boost-oilseed...

The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) has been instrumental in developing new rapeseed varieties, which have been adopted in some northern regions of China. The success of these efforts has enabled China to rotate rapeseed(Canola) crops with staple crops like rice and wheat, maximising land utilisation.

Pakistan is now tapping into this experience by collaborating with Chinese company Wuhan Qingfa-Hesheng and Pakistani firm Evyol Group. Together, they are providing high-quality hybrid rapeseeds (Canola) to Pakistani farmers. Ghazanfar Ali, head of marketing at Evyol Group, emphasised the suitability of their variety for local climate conditions. “It took us 10 years to produce a variety that is compatible with the local climate, produces a good yield and is good for human health,” he said, noting that farmers can achieve 1.5 tonnes of yield from 2 acres of land, surpassing current varieties available in Pakistan by over 10%.

Zhou Xusheng, director of the international business department at Wuhan Qingfa-Hesheng Seed company, outlined their ambitions. “This year we sold 11 tonnes of seeds across Pakistan, which will be cultivated on 20,000 acres, and our target for next year is 100 tonnes.” He also highlighted their intention to purchase the canola harvest from certain farmers and supply it to edible oil factories, thereby promoting the benefits of locally-produced oil.

From Google Generative AI:


Wheat is Pakistan's most important crop, accounting for 70% of production and 37.1% of the crop area. It's a staple food crop that's critical to millions of households.
Pakistan has released 31 wheat varieties since 2021 to achieve self-sufficiency in wheat production. One leading Pakistani seed company developed a hybrid wheat seed that's 40% higher per acre than conventional varieties.
Other high-yield crops in Pakistan include:
Tarnab Rehbar and Tarnab Gandum-1
These zinc-enriched varieties contain 40% more zinc than other varieties grown in Pakistan. They also have farmer-preferred traits like high yield and resistance to rust diseases.

RH-647
This new Bt. cotton variety has high yield potential and is best suited for wheat-cotton cropping patterns. It yielded significantly compared with standard varieties.
Other major crops in Pakistan include: Cotton, Rice, Sugarcane, Maize.

Pakistan’s potato production soared to 7.937 million tonnes in FY22 from 5.873 million tonnes in FY21, up 35 percent as the devastating floods left Punjab, the potato hub, mostly unscathed.

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1107423-chinese-investors-eye-pota...

Pakistan China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCJCCI) President Moazzam Ghurki during a think tank session held at PCJCCI Secretariat on Wednesday said Pakistan could be among the largest exporters of potato and though the country was self-sufficient in the food item, it imported 20,000 tonnes of potato seeds every year.

He suggested focusing on increasing the supply of local seeds, which could help save the precious foreign exchange reserves, which was spent on purchasing seeds from the international market, while at the same time increase the income of farmers.

If Pakistan succeeds in large-scale production of local high-quality potatoes, it could also export these edible stems to other countries, particularly in the Gulf region.

PCJCCI president added that most of the potato seeds in Pakistan had high dependence on imports, which raised the initial cost of potato production.

“About 35-40 percent of the cost goes to seeds, and there is a dire need to make it cost-effective for the low-income farmers,” Ghurki said. He urged to promote a tissue-culture laboratory for the production of affordable high-quality seeds within the country on a large scale to reduce dependence on foreign seeds.

PCJCCI Senior Vice President Fang Yulong said that Pakistani and Chinese enterprises have been working tirelessly to find opportunities for cooperation in this sector. In addition to seed production, related potato by-products are also welcomed by Chinese investors. Besides this, mechanised harvesting, pest control are also full of opportunities for investment.

“To build Pakistan’s largest potato tissue culture lab, various Chinese agricultural enterprises are involved for its practical implementation,” he added. “The most common potato diseases in Pakistan include early blight, stem rot and so on.

In contrast, Chinese varieties are more resistant to pests and diseases with higher yields, which is exactly what Pakistan needs to learn to improve our own potato germplasm,” Yulong said.

PCJCCI Vice President Hamza Khalid said, “We must ensure localised production of high-quality seeds, and at the same time improve planting technology and mechanisation level. Then we might be able to export potatoes to other countries. We have a huge potential for countries that have smaller land areas or don’t produce much of their own potatoes.”

Pakistan’s annual consumption of edible oil is around 5 million tons, but due to the low economic potential of oilseeds in the local market, they are not preferred by the farmers. The country has to import about 89 percent of oil to meet the demand, spending US$3.6 billion annually.

https://dailytimes.com.pk/1122982/chinese-company-to-help-pakistan-...

Pakistan’s iron brother, China, also has great demand for edible oil. Last year, China’s cooking oil consumption is about 13.44 million tons. China also suffered a short domestic supply of edible oil until the mid-1950s, when China began to promote brassica napus, also known as victory rapeseed. Brassica napus plants are tall, disease resistant, and more importantly, the yield is very high. The improvement of rapeseed varieties laid the foundation for China to greatly increase rapeseed production.

In recent years, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) has made a great breakthrough in breeding new varieties of rapeseed, which have been extended to some parts of northern China. Rapeseed now realized seasonal rotation with rice, wheat and other staple crops, which maximizes the utilization of arable land. Such Chinese experience and technologies can be a good reference for Pakistan, according to CEN.


Chinese company Wuhan Qingfa-Hesheng and a Pakistani company Evyol Group jointly provide high-quality hybrid rapeseeds to Pakistani farmers. “It took us 10 years to produce a variety that is compatible with the local climate, produces a good yield and is good for human health,” said Ghazanfar Ali, head of marketing in the Evyol group. “The crop provides an increased profit for the farmers. They can get 1.5 tons of yield out of 2 acres of land, which is over 10 percent more than the yield from other varieties currently available in Pakistan.”

“This year we sold 11 tons of seeds across Pakistan, which will be cultivated on 20,000 acres, and our target for next year is 100 tons,” said Zhou Xusheng, director of the international business department of Wuhan Qingfa-Hesheng Seed company.

The Chinese company will also buy back the canola harvest from some of the farmers and send it to the edible oil factories so that both farmer and the factory owners can realize the potential and health benefits of the oil.

Cotton crop expected to grow by more than twice - Profit by Pakistan Today

https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2023/10/11/cotton-crop-expected...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s agricultural sector is gearing up for a transformative year with an anticipated 126.6% surge in cotton production. The revelation came to light during the High-Powered Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA)’s meeting convened to assess the agricultural landscape for the upcoming Rabi Season (2023-24).

As per details, the meeting held on October 11, at Pak Secretariat, Islamabad, was presided over by Prof. Dr. Kauser Abdullah Malik, the Federal Minister for National Food Security & Research.

The projections presented in the meeting indicate that the cotton production for the 2023-24 season is expected to reach a staggering 11.5 million bales, harvested from an extensive area covering 2.4 million hectares. This marks an increase of 126.6% over the previous season and showcases Pakistan’s ability to achieve substantial growth in its agricultural output, specifically in the cotton sector.

During the meeting, the FCA meticulously reviewed the performance of the Kharif Crops (2023-24) and laid out a detailed Production Plan for the upcoming Rabi Crops (2023-24). The discussions also delved into the critical issue of input availability for Rabi Crops, ensuring a holistic approach to agricultural planning and management.

Apart from the remarkable cotton forecasts, the committee revealed the provisional estimates for various other crops. Rice production for the 2023-24 season is expected to reach 8.64 million tons, cultivated across 3.35 million hectares, marking an increase of 12.7% in area and a remarkable 18% rise in production compared to the previous year.

Mung bean production is estimated at 143.6 thousand tons across 198 thousand hectares, showing a slight decrease in area but a commendable 6.4% increase in production. Mash production is anticipated to be 5.28 thousand tons across 7.36 thousand hectares, representing an increase of 12.95% in area and an impressive 24.65% growth in production. Furthermore, chili’s production is estimated at 1.36 thousand tons from 122.1 thousand hectares, indicating moderate increases in both area and production.

The committee, recognizing the importance of strategic targets, established production goals for various crops. Wheat, a staple crop, was set at a substantial target of 32.12 million tons, spanning 8.9 million hectares. Additionally, production targets for Gram, Potato, Onion, and Tomato were fixed at 410, 6330, 2494, and 666 thousand tons, respectively.

Addressing concerns regarding seed availability for Rabi Crops, the meeting participants were assured by DG, FSC&RD that certified seed availability for the Rabi season 2023-24 would remain satisfactory, underpinning the foundation for the anticipated bumper harvests.

However, challenges such as water scarcity were not overlooked. The Indus River System Authority (IRSA) Advisory Committee highlighted an anticipated 15% shortage of water for Punjab and Sindh during the Rabi season. Despite this, the prevailing weather conditions were deemed supportive, and effective management strategies were in place to handle the manageable shortage.

Agro, food exports jump 37pc

https://www.dawn.com/news/1780607


ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has seen a significant increase of 37.4 per cent in the export of agro and food products in the first quarter of the current fiscal year from a year ago amid soaring domestic food inflation.

The surge in food products exports can be primarily attributed to the unprecedented rupee depreciation and the persistent disruptions in the supply chain and higher prices in the international market, which have led to a soaring demand for food products.

On Wednesday, the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), a subsidiary organisation of the Ministry of Commerce, released the latest data on the surge in food product exports.

TDAP CEO Zubair Motiwalla expressed his optimism regarding the future of Pakistan’s agro and food product exports. He stated that if the current trends continue, the country’s exports in this sector are projected to surpass $7bn by the end of 2023-24.


According to the TDAP data, major increases were in the export of sesame seed (427pc), maize/corn (109pc), ethyl alcohol (559pc), meat (16pc), rice (14pc), fruits and vegetables (11.8pc), fish and fish products (3pc).

Pakistan exported sesame seed worth $182.2m during July-September 2023-24 as compared to $34m in the corresponding period last year, a growth of 435pc thanks to increased production.

Similarly, the exports of maize were $130m during 1QFY24 as compared to $60.62m in 1QFY23, a growth of 109.32pc. Pakistan’s maize exports have increased manifolds in value, as global prices of food commodities have increased due to the outbreak of Russian-Ukraine war. The major markets for maize are Vietnam, Malaysia, Korea and Oman.

Pakistan exported ethyl alcohol worth $126.81m in 1QFY24 as compared to $19.23m in 1QFY23, indicating a growth of 559.1pc.

Pakistan exported $112.36m worth of meat in 1QFY24 as compared to $96.4m in 1QFY23, showing a growth of 16.54pc. The reason for the increase in meat exports is the introduction of new markets — Jordan, Egypt, and Uzbekistan.

At the same time, several new enterprises are registering to export meat to the UAE, KSA, and the GGC region.

Malaysia also cleared three more slaughterhouses for export/processing. Furthermore, one meat exporting company was granted market access for heat-treated meat shipments to China.

Pakistan may limit onion exports – what impact could it have on the markets of Europe and Central Asia? • EastFruit


https://east-fruit.com/en/news/pakistan-may-limit-onion-exports-wha...

According to EastFruit analysts, persistent rumors that Pakistan plans to limit onion exports have not yet been officially confirmed. However, the likelihood of such restrictions, formal or not, remains quite high. And this could have a significant impact on the market because Pakistan is among the top 5-7 global onion exporters in the world, according to EastFruit.

With this, Pakistan could join the long list of countries that have imposed bans or restrictions on onion exports in the past 12 months. Among these countries: Egypt, Turkey, Uzbekistan, India, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and others.

The main reason for possible restrictions on fresh onion exports from Pakistan is the rise in domestic prices for this vegetable, which remains one of the main products in the consumer basket. However, it must be taken into account that, firstly, onion prices are still lower than last year’s, and secondly, the local currency continues to devalue against the US dollar, which affects prices much more than the situation with supply and demand.

Read also: Catastrophic price situation for German onions

The main onion markets for Pakistan are Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and the UAE. In general, Pakistan is one of the main exporters of onions to the Gulf countries. Annually, fresh onion exports from Pakistan range from 300 to 450 thousand tons. In 2022, due to floods, a significant part of Pakistan’s onion crop was lost, so the country became a net importer, buying almost 500 thousand tons of onions, mainly from Afghanistan, Iran, and Egypt.

Although mutual onion trade between Pakistan and Europe and ex-USSR Central Asia is relatively small, the impact of this ban on the market could be quite significant. A possible restriction on onion exports could lead to a further increase in onion prices in the Middle East. Already, Pakistani onions are sold in bulk in the UAE at prices of more than $1 per kg. A further increase in onion prices in this region will lead to an increase in onion imports from the EU countries and will make onion exports profitable even from Uzbekistan to the UAE. Accordingly, if the decision is made, it may become decisive in supporting the rise in onion prices in Europe and Central Asia.

India’s pain is Pakistan’s gain in global maize market as exports drop to a trickle - The Hindu BusinessLine


https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/indias-p...


Pakistan has gained at India’s cost in the world corn (maize) market, particularly South-East Asia, as domestic prices are ruling higher than the global prices, exporters and traders said. This is in view of demand from the poultry and starch sectors besides for ethanol production amidst drop in the coarse cereal’s production this crop year to June.


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“India’s loss is Pakistan’s gain in the Asian market. It is selling maize at $240-50 a tonne. In contrast, our prices are over $300,” said M Madan Prakash, President, Agri Commodities Exporters Association.

In the domestic market, the weighted average price of maize is currently ₹2,132 a quintal compared with ₹2,039 a year ago.

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July-December 2023-24: Exports of agro and food products increase by 64pc - Business & Finance - Business Recorder



https://www.brecorder.com/news/40281972


KARACHI: During the first six months of the financial year of 2023-2024, exports of agro and food products from Pakistan has been increased by 64 percent as compared to the same period during 2022-2023. In the month of December only, there is growth of 118 percent, as $882 million of food product export was exported in comparison of $404 million in same month in 2022-23.

In the current fiscal year 2034-24 major increases were in export of Sesame seed (278pc), Maize/corn (208pc), Ethyl alcohol (497pc), Meat (23pc), Rice (96pc), Fruits and Vegetables (15pc), Spices (10pc) and Tobacco(34pc).

Pakistan exported sesame seed worth $364 million during July-December 2023-24 as compared to $98 million during July-December, 2022-23 showing a positive growth of 278 percent. The reasons for increase of sesame seed is the increased production in 2023 (2022 crop was destroyed by flood) and higher demand/rate from China, Korea, Japan etc.

Similarly the exports of Maize were $262 million during July-December, 2023-24 as compared to $85 million in July-December, 2022-23 showing a positive growth of 208 percent. Pakistan’s maize exports have increased manifolds in value, as global prices of food commodities have increased due to the outbreak of Russian- Ukraine war. The major markets for are Vietnam, Malaysia, Korea and Oman.

Pakistan exported ethyl alcohol worth $259 million during July-December, 2023-24 as compared to $43 million during July-December, 2022-23 showing a positive growth of 4 percent. The reason for increase is the high global demand.

In meat sector, Pakistan exported worth $239 million during July-December, 2023-24 as compared to $195 in July-December, 2022-23 showing a positive growth of 23%. The reasons for positive growth of meat sector is due to opening of new markets (Jordan, Egypt, Uzbekistan), and participation of many new companies for exporting meat to UAE, KSA & GGC Region.

Additionally three more slaughter houses were approved for exporting/processing by Malaysia. Moreover, two meat exporting companies also got market access for exports of heat treated meat to China who have recently shipped heat treated meat to China.

The exports of rice from were $1645 million during July-December 2023-24 as compared to $841 million in July-December. 2022-23 showing a positive growth of 96 percent. The reason for increase is due to India’s rice export ban and increased production of rice in Pakistan. Pakistan exported fruits and vegetables worth $285 million during July-December, 2023-24 as compared to $248 million in July-December, 2022-23 showing a positive growth of 15 percent. Similarly, exports of spices shows growth of 10 percent.

Banana production reaches 154,935 tons on 34,830 hectares - Pakistan Observer

The cultivated area of banana in Pakistan has exceeded 34,830 hectares and the production has exceeded 154,935 tons, with Sindh producing 127,426 tons and Punjab producing 9,573 tons.

According to media reports, Agriculture and Fruit Economist Ari Faisalabad Ishaq Javed, high varieties of banana can be cultivated very successfully in hot humid areas where there is no haze and the plants are protected from hot weather.

https://pakobserver.net/banana-production-reaches-154935-tons-on-34...

Rainfall up to 2,500 millimeters, temperatures between 16 to 18 degrees Celsius in winter and 21 to 24 degrees Celsius in summer can produce excellent banana production.

Javed said that since the roots of the banana plant go to a shallow depth, it needs enough water and fertile soil that has the ability to absorb water well. He said that the growth of banana can be done from rhizome pieces and rootstocks. He said that gardeners should keep the distance between plants from 1.5 to 2.5 meters and the number of plants per acre should be kept from 676 to 764. He said that gardeners should consult agronomists for further guidance.

Pakistan onion exports amounted to $210 million In first 10 months of FY2023-24

https://www.freshplaza.com/asia/article/9628959/pakistan-onion-expo...


In the first 10 months of FY2023-24, Pakistan achieved onion exports amounting to $210 million, as reported by local media. The All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association anticipates this figure to escalate to $250 million by the closure of FY24. Despite the flourishing export figures, the local populace has been subjected to elevated prices for onions, a fundamental kitchen staple. An association representative attributed the price hike to market dynamics rather than the export activity itself, noting a discrepancy between wholesale and retail prices.

Overall vegetable exports during this period reached 1.044 million tons, generating $371 million in revenue, marking an increase in the average price per ton from $233 to $354, attributed to stable currency rates. Onions constituted a significant portion of these exports, alongside potatoes and other vegetables.

The export landscape was also influenced by the import of onions from Iran and Afghanistan and the exploitation of an Indian export ban by Pakistani exporters. Despite efforts to regulate the market, including setting a minimum export price for onions at $1,200 per ton in January 2024, domestic prices have remained high, benefiting exporters significantly. Pakistani onions have found their way to various international markets, notably in the Far East, with potential growth hinging on resolving trade issues with countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand.

Pakistan's fruit exports up 17.85% in first ten months of current fiscal year

https://www.freshplaza.com/asia/article/9629192/pakistan-s-fruit-ex...

Pakistan's fruit exports experienced a 17.85% rise in the first ten months of the current fiscal year compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. This increase is documented by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), highlighting an escalation from 232,700 million dollars to 274,227 million dollars during July-April (2023-24). Furthermore, a significant 29.32% year-on-year growth was observed in April 2024, with exports reaching 8.161 million dollars against the 6.311 million dollars recorded in April 2023.

Despite the annual growth, a month-on-month comparison shows a 58.51% decrease in April 2024 from 19.629 million dollars in March 2024. Additionally, Pakistan's overall merchandise exports saw a 9.10% increase during the first ten months of the fiscal year 2023-24, totaling 25.280 billion dollars as opposed to 23.171 billion dollars in the same timeframe of the previous year.

Pakistan exports first shipment of cherries to China | Article | Fruitnet

https://www.fruitnet.com/asiafruit/pakistan-exports-first-shipment-...


Pakistan has shipped its first consignment of fresh cherries to China marking the opening of Asia’s largest market for the industry.

The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) announced the shipment was dispatched to China on 5 June. It said under the phytosanitary agreement with China over 100 orchards have been registered with China’s General Administration of Customs.

According to a report from Dawn, the first shipment contained 6 tonnes of cherries and was transported by refrigerated truck over the border. The cherries were grown in key the key production region of Gilgit-Baltistan, which produces approximately 5,000 tonnes a season.

Following the initial shipment Pakistan hopes to ramp up supply and send 260 tonnes of cherries to China by the end of the month.

The Pakistan Horticulture Development & Export Company (PHDEC) has been working with the local cherry industry on development, helping to educate growers on producing popular varieties.

PHDEC chief executive Athar Hussain Khokhar said by producing the required varieties of cherries, the country can capture a slice of the China market.

“Proximity and growing demand for the fruit in the Chinese market are a major competitive advantage to Gilgit-Baltistan growers,” Khokhar said.

Pakistan is the world's third largest producer of goat meat after China and India.

Pakistan ranks 3rd with 532 million kg of goat meat produced in 2023

China tops with 2.5 billion kg, followed by India with 550 million kg.

https://www.tridge.com/intelligences/goat-meat/production

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Pakistan opens the Jordanian meat market - Euromeatnews.com

https://euromeatnews.com/Article-Pakistan-opens-the-Jordanian-meat-...

Pakistan is tapping the Jordanian meat market, as three slaughterhouses are already approved to export bovine, camel, sheep and goat meat to Amman. For the last few years, Jordan has imported constantly around 150,000 tonnes of halal meat, worth $464 million. According to the Ministry of National Food Security and Research data, the total volume of meat production in Pakistan was 4,708 tonnes in 2019-20. Of this, 2,303 tonnes was beef, 748 tonnes was mutton and 1,657 tonnes was poultry. Pakistani meat exporters are facing intense competition in the halal meat market from other countries like India, Brazil, Australia and Africa. However, the country wants to focus on camel meat exports. "Pakistan has recently become a top exporter of camel meat in the world", mentioned Ismail Suttar, President of Employers Federation of Pakistan. The global halal meat market is projected to reach a value of $3.2 trillion by 2024. Nevertheless, top exporters in this market are Brazil, Australia and India. "Not even a single Muslim country falls in the list of top five global exporters of halal products", commented Ahmad Jawad, former chairman of agriculture committee for the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
Major importers of halal meat are represented by Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia and Egypt.

Pakistan stands as the world’s 5th largest mango producer

https://www.freshplaza.com/latin-america/article/9642058/pakistan-s...

Pakistan stands as the world's 5th largest mango producer, offering 24 unique varieties. The mango season, active from May to August, is centered in Punjab and Sindh, home to the Sindhri and Chaunsa varieties. Despite its global standing, Pakistan exports only 6 to 7% of its mango production, facing challenges in production, processing, transportation, and compliance with international standards.

This year, production declined due to pests and climate issues, yet the country continues to meet domestic demand and export. The majority of exports, about 75%, target GCC countries via sea, air, and land. Efforts to improve air shipment logistics are in progress to maintain quality and competitive pricing.

Enhancing branding and packaging is vital for competing internationally. Unlike Mexico and India, Pakistani mangoes lack a strong global brand, affecting their pricing abroad. Streamlining regulatory compliance and export procedures is also crucial for smoother market access.

Strategic initiatives aim to strengthen marketing, upgrade processing facilities, and explore new markets in Europe, Africa, Iran, and China. These efforts are expected to diversify export destinations and support the sector's sustainable growth.

With targeted efforts to address challenges and seize opportunities, Pakistan aims to boost its mango exports, contributing to economic growth and its global trade footprint.

As climate change threatens Pakistan mango exports, surge in Middle East demand offers some hope

https://www.arabnews.pk/node/2545171/pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association (APFVEA) said on Sunday that Pakistan might not meet its target of exporting 100,000 metric tons of mangoes this year due to adverse effects of climate change on its production, with officials pinning their hopes on a surge in demand from the Middle East.

Pakistan is the world’s fourth-largest mango producer and the fruit export generates millions of dollars in revenue annually, according to the APFVEA. Additionally, mangoes serve as a cultural symbol and a diplomatic tool that help the government strengthen international connections.

Pakistan has faced mango export challenges in recent years due to adverse weather, and pest and fruit fly infestation, with production declining for the third consecutive year in 2024.

The country produces around 1,800,000 metric tons of mangoes annually, with 70 percent grown in Punjab, 29 percent in Sindh and one percent grown in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“We had set a target of exporting 100,000 metric tons of mangoes this season, but it seems unachievable due to the pronounced negative impact of climate change on Pakistan’s mango orchards resulting in less production and a lack of export-quality mangoes,” Muhammad Shehzad Sheikh, the APFVEA chairman, told Arab News.

Due to the weather this year, he said, mango production was down by up to 40 percent in Punjab and 20 percent in Sindh, reducing the overall production by around 600,000 metric tons.

He said the APFVEA reduced this year’s target because it could not achieve the export target of 125,000 metric tons last year and exported only 100,000 metric tons of mangoes in 2023.

“With the export of 100,000 metric tons of mangoes during the current season, if achieved, a valuable foreign exchange of $90 million would be generated,” Sheikh said.

Expressing grave concerns, the APFVEA chairman said the effects of climate change on fruit cultivation, particularly mangoes, as well as on the larger agricultural sector were intensifying with each passing year.

“Extended winters, heavy rains, hailstorms and subsequent severe heatwaves have altered disease patterns throughout the seasons,” he explained, stressing an urgent need for research-based solutions to mitigate these effects and warning that failure to promptly do so could further jeopardize mango production and exports.

Overseas Demand soars for Pakistani mangoes. 93,000 tons worth $61 million exported in 2024


https://tribune.com.pk/story/2479446/demand-soars-for-local-mangoes


KARACHI:
This year has seen a remarkable increase in mango exports from Pakistan, underscoring the growing demand and global appeal of this tropical fruit. The surge reflects both expanded production capabilities and heightened international interest in premium-quality mangoes.

According to the Department of Plant Protection (DPP), as of June 30, 2024, the country shipped over 93,000 metric tonnes of mangoes worth about $61 million since exports commenced on May 20, 2024. A total of 4,484 containers were shipped to countries such as United Arab Emirates, Iran, Afghanistan, and other Middle Eastern countries, including Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.

“The figures show export data till June 30. The total will be compiled after the end of the season in September,” a DPP official said. This includes all three modes of shipment: by sea, by air, and through land terminals.

Quoting the DPP’s export statement, another official of the department said Pakistan’s total mango export volume was more than 129,000 metric tonnes during the last season in 2023. During this season, 18 hot water treatment plants have been approved in Karachi, with a few qualified from other parts of Sindh and Punjab.

Waheed Ahmed, Patron-in-Chief of the All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers, and Merchants Association (PFVA), said, “We still don’t have any data regarding this year’s export as we receive from the government.”

According to the DPP’s country-wise chart seen by The Express Tribune, Iran was the top export destination with 1,745 containers worth about $19.5 million. The UAE followed, importing a staggering 1,396 containers worth around $21.5 million. A notable quantity of 700 containers, valued at approximately $7 million, was shipped to Kazakhstan.

Additionally, an impressive 307 containers, or 10,074 metric tonnes worth a little above $1.5 million, were exported to Afghanistan.

Statistics from the Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited (PRAL) also depict that the value for last year’s export was approximately $116 million. However, the quantity mentioned in PRAL data is 154,000 metric tonnes, which includes a portion of this year’s volume (data compiled based on exports carried out from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024).

Export of mangoes commenced on May 20, 2024, and gained momentum, with shipments of the luscious fruit surging via the Torkham border.

While talking to The Express Tribune, Dr Mubarak Ahmad, Consultant on Agro and Food at the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) and former Director General at DPP, said Pakistan boasts a robust mango crop this year. The quality is also favourable for export. According to DPP data compiled till June 30, 2024, the volume of export has crossed 93,000 metric tonnes. This figure will rise further considerably by the end of the season, he added.


“Exports from Punjab have just started last week. The export is likely to continue till September. So we will see more surge in terms of both volume and value,” he said.

Regarding TDAP’s activities in promoting the fruit, he said TDAP has undertaken a good number of activities to promote the valuable fruit and is organising events to attract foreign buyers. “We support exporters for participation in international fairs, arrange B2B meetings, facilitate exporters in removing trade barriers, and contribute to opening new markets.”

Ahmad also highlighted that the TDAP recently organised a trade exhibition attended by about 600 foreign buyers from across the globe. Additionally, the TDAP sends mangoes to 35 countries for their top officials, arranges mango tasting events, and holds seminars/meetings for consultative sessions with stakeholders.

Pakistan is the world’s 9th largest and Asia’s 4th largest potato producing country

https://www.statista.com/statistics/382192/global-potato-production...

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Nuts - Pakistan | Statista Market Forecast

https://www.statista.com/outlook/cmo/food/fruits-nuts/nuts/pakistan

Revenue in the Nuts market amounts to US$0.59bn in 2024. The market is expected to grow annually by 3.18% (CAGR 2024-2029).
In global comparison, most revenue is generated in the United States (US$10,540m in 2024).
In relation to total population figures, per person revenues of US$2.40 are generated in 2024.
In the Nuts market, volume is expected to amount to 243.10m kg by 2029. The Nuts market is expected to show a volume growth of 2.2% in 2025.
The average volume per person in the Nuts market is expected to amount to 0.9kg in 2024.

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FY24 exports soar 10.54pc to $30.645bn YoY - Business & Finance - Business Recorder

https://www.brecorder.com/news/40310979

ISLAMABAD: The country’s exports increased by 10.54 percent ($2.921 billion) to $30.645 billion during the fiscal year 2023-24 compared to $27.724 billion in the corresponding period of 2022-23, says the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The monthly trade data released by the Bureau noted that Pakistan’s trade deficit narrowed down by 12.32 per cent in the fiscal year 2023-24 as it stood at $24.089 billion compared to $27.474 billion during the fiscal year 2022-23.

Imports declined by 0.84 per cent to $54.734 billion during the fiscal year 2023-24 as compared with $55.198 billion in the fiscal year 2022-23.

The data further noted that the trade deficit widened by 30.39 per cent on a year-on-year basis and stood at $2.390 billion in June 2024 compared to $1.833 billion during the same month of 2023.

The imports increased by 17.43 per cent on a YoY basis and remained $4.919 billion in June 2024 compared to $4.189 billion in June 2023. The exports increased by 7.34 per cent on a YoY basis and remained $2.529 billion in June 2024 compared to $2.356 billion in June 2023.

On a MoM basis, the trade deficit widened by 15.13 per cent to $2.390 billion in June 2024, as compared to $2.076 billion in May 2024. Exports recorded a 10.92 per cent negative growth to $2.529 billion in June 2024 when compared with $2.839 billion in May 2024.

Import increased by 0.08 per cent to $4.919 billion in June 2024 when compared with $4.915 billion in May 2024.

The country’ exports was $4.434 billion during the first two months (July-August) of fiscal year 2023-24 and registered -6.32 per cent growth when compared to $4.733 billion in 2022-23. However, exports turned into a positive trajectory after that from September 2023.

Former caretaker minister for Commerce and Industries Gohar Ejaz in a post on X said that the trade deficit decreased proportionately to increased exports. Export-led growth is the only way forward for the country to get out of economic challenges and jobs creation. He said that trade deficit decreased by $3.5 billion which is directly proportional to increased exports.

President FPCCI Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) President Atif Ikram Sheikh, Chairman Rice Exporters Association, Chairman Seed Association, Chairman Fruit and Vegetable Association gave credit to hard work in marketing Pakistani products and creating increased access in China and GCC by Gohar Ejaz and his team which helped in turning around exports from negative to 10 per cent growth in his seven months tenure as caretaker federal commerce minister.

Pakistan has increased its aquaculture manifold from 12,000 tons in the year 2000 to 159,000 tons in 2018. Aquaculture is slowly gaining momentum in Pakistan with hatcheries of different species of crustaceans (mostly shrimps) opening up in Karachi.

https://tdap.gov.pk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Fisheries-Potential-...

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https://www.reportlinker.com/clp/country/10970/726402


Key Market Indicators
Fish production in Pakistan is expected to reach 178,000 metric tons by 2026, up 1.4 percent from 162,000 metric tons in 2021. Since 1965, the country's production has grown 0.7 percent annually. In 2021, Pakistan ranked 28th in fish production, after France which produced 162,000 metric tons. Indonesia, India and Vietnam ranked second, third, and fourth, respectively.

Fish consumption in Pakistan is projected to reach 53,000 metric tons by 2026, down 1.9 percent from 58,000 metric tons in 2021. Since 2017, the country's demand for fish has decreased 3 percent annually.

Pakistan’s rice exports surged to $4 billion in FY24 compared to $2.15 billion last year


https://www.arabnews.com/node/2575218/pakistan


State media says favorable weather, “abundant” resources helped Pakistan export six million tons of rice

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan generated $4 billion in revenue during financial year 2024 by exporting six million tons of different types of rice, state media reported on Monday, citing favorable weather conditions and “abundant” agricultural resources as the main reasons for the surge in exports.

Pakistan exported rice worth $4 billion this year compared to $2.15 billion last year, benefiting largely from India’s more-than-a-year-long ban on rice exports to fulfill its domestic needs. India announced in September it was lifting the ban, prompting Pakistan to lift the minimum export price for all rice varieties in the country.

India and Pakistan are the only two countries that produce basmati rice which is famous for its unique flavor and aroma. India has been the largest exporter of rice worldwide, followed by Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam.

“With the support of the Special Investment Facilitation Council, Pakistan has earned revenue of four billion dollars from rice exports,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported, referring to Pakistan’s top hybrid civil-military body formed last year to attract foreign investment in the country’s vital economic sectors.

“During the fiscal year 2024, Pakistan exported more than 6 million tons of different varieties of rice due to favorable weather conditions and abundant availability of agricultural resources.”

Shahjahan Malik, former chairman of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan, said exporters have set a fresh target of $5 billion for rice exports for the next financial year. He added that a comprehensive strategy based on “modern seed research and quality agricultural practices” would be developed to enhance exports further.

Earlier this month, Pakistan’s Commerce Minister Jam Kamal had said the country aimed to boost its rice exports to as much as $7 billion to support its dwindling economy.
Pakistan’s commerce minister said country aims to increase revenue from rice exports to $7 billion this year

Pakistan becomes 5th largest country in sesame production

https://radio.gov.pk/23-01-2024/pakistan-becomes-5th-largest-countr...'s%20agricultural%20portfolio.

Pakistan has become the fifth largest country worldwide in the sesame production with its over four hundred million dollars exports in current year. According to the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, sesame has emerged as a pivotal cash crop within Pakistan's agricultural portfolio.

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Pakistan loses its edge in supplying China with sesame seeds

https://www.ft.com/content/db8a22b4-a3f9-425c-be74-6ba87023823a


Pakistan’s agricultural industry is struggling to adjust to the end of a shortlived boom in supplying a staple for China’s kitchens, as demand and prices for sesame seeds collapse amid increasing competition from other countries. China, the world’s largest sesame seed buyer, imported just $19mn worth of seeds from Pakistan in the harvesting months of August and September this year, a 53 per cent fall compared with the same period in 2023 when demand was at its peak, according to data from Beijing’s General Administration for Customs. Pakistan had been benefiting from conflict in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar disrupting supplies from producers there, and Beijing’s decision to abolish a 9 per cent duty on seeds from its neighbour.





Alan Xi, general manager for agriculture at China Machinery Engineering Corporation in Pakistan, said waning demand from China was driving prices down to Rs12,000 a maund (40kg) — about a dollar a kilo — for the farmers he contracts to grow sesame, well below the Rs20,000 they fetched last year.



“Very, very high demand from China drove farmers to want to switch to sowing sesame seeds,” said Xi. Now “some farmers are telling me, they will never grow sesame again because of the low price”. “Since the season started [in August], prices [of sesame] have been coming down every week,” said Fahad Shoukat, chief executive of Armcom, a Karachi-based sesame exporter. Although his business specialises in selling premium-grade sesame to the US and Europe instead of China, the price slump has still hit his company’s bottom line. “Nobody [importers] is taking long-term positions, while last year people in Europe and the US would keep bigger stocks in their warehouses.”



Pakistan exported $403mn worth of sesame last year, making it the world’s fifth-largest exporter, up from just $40mn in 2019, according to data from S&P Global Commodity Insights, as China scrambled to replace lost volumes from conflict zones and attacks on Red Sea shipping lanes.




Pakistan’s tariff exemption has given its exporters an edge over fellow autumn and winter suppliers in India, while the port of Karachi is relatively closer to Chinese ports than those of competitors in west and east Africa, according to analysts and exporters. Pakistan was responsible for about a fifth of the $1.53bn in sesame imports by China in 2023, which were turned into cooking oil, sauces and dessert garnishes. Farmers sow sesame on more than 1.8mn acres of Pakistani farmland, four times the area under cultivation for the seed in 2020, according to data from the Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, a Faisalabad-based research centre.

Hazara’s Olive Oil Boom Lays Roadmap for Pakistani Sector - Olive Oil Times

https://www.oliveoiltimes.com/production/hazaras-olive-oil-boom-lay...

The northwestern Pakistani region of Hazara has become a proving ground for the national olive oil sector.

Officials and producers are encouraged by early results, believing the region has provided a roadmap for the rest of Pakistan and opened the door to large-scale exports.

Olive oil production in Hazara has risen from 90 kilograms in 2019 to over two tons in 2022 and 2023, providing substantial financial benefits to farmers.
- Saeed Ur Rahman, olive specialist, PARC
“Hundreds of farmers are attracted to grafting olives on a local breed named Kaho,” said Basharat Hussain Shah, the National Tea and High-Value Crops Research Institute (NTHRI) senior director.

“Within two to three years of planting, the trees have started yielding, with the yield increasing each year,” he added. “Over 1,000 hectares of land in Hazara are dedicated to olive trees, and this area is growing annually.”

See Also:Festivals, Conferences Build Momentum for Pakistani Olive Oil Sector
Sabir Sultan is one of the pioneers of olive growing in Hazara, planting the first olive trees of the Zaitoon Family Foundation in 2010.

Over the past 14 years, Sultan has cultivated about 5,000 olive trees via graft, half of which have started producing fruit.

“The climate of Hazara is very suitable for olive cultivation,” he said. “The land space is vast, making cultivating large quantities of olive plants easier.”

The combination of land availability and appropriate olive growing conditions have made Hazara a candidate for larger-scale olive farms, which help to lower agronomic and harvesting costs.

Basharat Hussain Shah (left) sees the potential of grafting local olive tree varieties in Hazara and across Pakistan.
Additionally, Sultan insisted that the region is already leading the way regarding quality.

“An official analysis took place in Pakistan to assess the quality of oil from different regions, and it was found that Hazara produces the highest quality of olive oil in all of Pakistan,” he said.

Along with Arbequina and Leccino, Sultan grows two varieties bred specifically for Hazara’s climate and soil conditions: BARI Zaitoon‑1 and BARI Zaitoon‑2.

“Given the fertility and suitability of the land, if olive cultivation is done efficiently, we will not only be able to stop the import of olive goods but also become capable of exporting it globally,” Sultan said.

Sabir Sultan is a pioneer of olive farming in the Hazara region, where olive oil produciton is growing. (Photo: Sabir Sultan)
“The increase in olive cultivation can be extremely beneficial for Pakistan,” he added. “It can give an immense boost to the economy by reducing olive oil imports, which, along with tea, is one of Pakistan’s biggest imports.”

While Hussain said government support would be necessary for olive cultivation to spread and ultimately succeed in the South Asian country, he added that “the opportunities are limitless.”

The Hazara region, located in the wider Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, serves as a microcosm for the wider Pakistani industry. Hussain believes many of Hazara’s opportunities and challenges are mirrored nationwide.

“Pakistan’s climate and soil conditions are suitable for olive cultivation, particularly in the northwest regions like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab,” he said. “The country has made significant progress in olive farming, with many farmers adopting modern cultivation practices and irrigation systems.”




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Agronomists are helping farmers graft endemic wild olive trees across

According to Saeed, Pakistan produced 86 tons of olive oil in the 2022/23 crop year, most of which was virgin and extra virgin.

“The country has around seven million olive trees planted on 25,000 hectares, with the potential production of these already-planted groves expected to reach 1,400 tons annually,” he said. “By 2027, production is projected to exceed 10,000 tons annually.”

Pakistan’s expert discovers seed tech in China during an event held in China under the Asian Seed Association.

https://thedailycpec.com/pakistans-expert-discovers-seed-tech-in-ch...

The Asian Seed Congress (ASC), the premier annual event of the Asian Seed Association (APSA), took place in Sanya, Hainan, China, from December 2 to December 5, with the theme “Riding the Wave of Growth in Asia Pacific.” Since its establishment in 1994, ASC has rotated its location yearly across different countries or regions within the Asia-Pacific. This year marked its 29th edition, setting a record with over 1,500 participants from 52 nations, making it the largest gathering in APSA’s history.

Dr. Rasheed, a seasoned agribusiness expert with more than 15 years of experience, represented Pakistan at the congress. Eager to stay abreast of emerging trends and establish partnerships, he expressed particular interest in vegetable seeds, including chili, tomato, melon, and watermelon. “This is my seventh Asian Seed Congress,” shared Dr. Rasheed, currently serving as the research advisor for Pakistan’s Patron Group. He was particularly intrigued by the trade exhibition, where global seed companies showcased their best varieties, while Chinese exhibitors highlighted cutting-edge biotechnologies.

Dr. Rasheed observed an impressive range of biotechnologically engineered seeds resistant to various environmental and biological challenges. These advancements, he noted, have the potential to significantly enhance agricultural yields in Pakistan.

Pakistan’s seed industry holds immense promise within the Asia-Pacific seed market, valued at $29.7 billion, contributing 32% of the global seed market. The region’s seed use is equally significant, with 26.9 billion tonnes, representing nearly 40% of the global total. Such collaborations, Dr. Rasheed remarked, could drive growth and innovation within Pakistan’s agriculture sector.

Highlighting the strong collaboration between Pakistan and China in the seed industry, Dr. Rasheed pointed out China’s extensive seed trade network spanning 116 countries. Hybrid rice, a notable achievement, has been successfully introduced and scaled in regions such as Asia and Latin America. As China’s strategic partner and close neighbor, Pakistan is well-positioned to benefit from and expand such cooperative efforts.

Hybrid rice has proven transformative for Pakistan. Following years of trials, the country has reached a milestone by exporting hybrid rice to third-party markets, symbolizing a significant achievement in agricultural collaboration between China and Pakistan.

Also known as maize, corn’s success story has, to a large extent, been buried under the media attention that the politics of sugar and wheat usually garner. Yet, maize yields have tripled over the last two decades and according to a report by the Pakistan Business Council (PBC), production has surged over six times – going from 1.6 million tons to 10.6 million tons – a growth that stems from private sector investment, particularly in the form of the import of hybrid seeds and significantly by the absence of government intervention.

For context, about two-thirds of Pakistan’s total corn production of approximately 10 million tons is used for poultry feed, and the remaining is for livestock fodder and other commercial purposes as well as human consumption. While demand is mainly driven by the poultry feed and the dairy sector, corn has myriad applications for consumer goods as well as intermediate goods in the manufacturing sector. In fact, every part of the corn kernel finds a use; the oil is extracted from the germ, starch goes to industry for various products, protein is dried for poultry feed, and fibre is dried for cattle feed.

https://aurora.dawn.com/news/1145082

Pakistan becomes self-sufficient in mung bean output - Business - DAWN.COM


https://www.dawn.com/news/1646790

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has become self-sufficient in mung bean production as the first estimate of the crop for 2021-22 records the legume output at 253,000 tonnes against the national requirement of about 180,000 tonnes.

The self-sufficiency in mung bean — a major edible legume in Asia — was announced during the annual review and planning meeting for Rabi 2021-22 on Thursday. The meeting was organised by the Pakistan Agricultural Research Cou­ncil (PARC) for its Public Sector Development Prog­ramme-funded project ‘Pro­moting Research for Prod­uctivity Enhancement in Pulses’.

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Enhancing mung bean and chickpea cultivation in Pakistan through nuclear techniques | IAEA

https://www.iaea.org/bulletin/enhancing-mung-bean-and-chickpea-cult...

Pulses such as chickpeas, mung beans and lentils are staples of Pakistani cuisine. While many countries are reliant on imports, Pakistan has achieved self-sufficiency in mung bean production thanks to nuclear science, and some farmers have doubled their yield.

Mung beans are high in protein and help to combat malnutrition. Most of the mung bean varieties grown by Pakistani farmers are developed by Pakistan’s Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology (NIAB) in collaboration with the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture (Joint FAO/IAEA Centre). These new varieties have improved crops’ yield performance, resistance to disease and nutritional profile. The two varieties released in 2021 — NIAB Mung 2021 (NM-2021) and Abbas Mung — were grown on around 70 per cent of Pakistan’s mung bean acreage that year, contributing significantly to the country’s food security and economy.

While Abbas Mung is a medium sized seed variety known for its cooking quality, NM-2021 is a bold sized seed variety with increased nutritional quality. Hakim Ishfaq Mohy ud Din Chisti, a farmer from the Punjab province, praises NM-2021: “The yield of my crop was high. NIAB must continue its efforts to develop such varieties in future.” As NIAB mung bean varieties produce more than twice the yield per hectare than previous varieties, they could effectively double mung bean production, helping to address Pakistan’s food and nutritional needs.

Nuclear mutation breeding techniques, which have been applied since the 1930s to accelerate the process of developing and selecting valuable agronomic traits, use plants’ own genetic make-up to mimic the natural process of spontaneous mutation. The mutation process generates random genetic variations, resulting in mutant plants with new and useful traits.

In 2022, intense and deadly floods swamped two million acres of agricultural land, severely affecting the mung bean crop in Punjab and causing a shortfall. But Muhammad Jawad Asghar, principal scientist in the mung bean group within NIAB’s Plant Breeding and Genetics Division, is hopeful for the future of the mung bean crop in Pakistan: “This is not the end. This is an opportunity to do two things: remain self-sufficient and produce a surplus.”

Pakistan’s food exports rise to $4.62 billion in seven months - Profit by Pakistan Today

https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2025/02/19/pakistans-food-expor...


Pakistan’s food exports increased by 8.17 percent to $4.62 billion during the first seven months of the fiscal year 2024-25, up from $4.26 billion in the same period last year, primarily driven by a rise in rice shipments, according to data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).


This marks the 18th consecutive month of export growth, even as domestic food inflation remains at historically high levels, leading to increased prices for consumers across the country.

Rice exports played a key role in the overall increase, with shipments reaching $2.19 billion during July-January 2025, a 3.73 percent rise from $2.12 billion in the corresponding period last year.

The export volume of basmati rice grew by 22.04 percent to 487,221 tonnes, with its export value rising by 11.98 percent to $511.59 million. Non-basmati rice exports also increased by 1.46 percent in value to $1.68 billion, with export volume up 7.72 percent to 3.15 million tonnes.

New export markets, including Bangladesh, have contributed to the expansion of Pakistan’s rice sector, which remains a key driver of exports to the European Union and the United Kingdom. However, the continued surge in rice exports has impacted domestic availability, pushing basmati rice prices up to Rs400 per kg from Rs150 two years ago.

Sugar exports saw a dramatic increase, rising by 2,188 percent to 757,597 tonnes compared to just 33,101 tonnes in the same period last year. Afghanistan has been the primary destination for these shipments, contributing to the domestic price hike in sugar.

Meat exports also registered a modest increase of 2.6 percent during the first seven months of the fiscal year. The expansion of meat exports has been driven by new market openings, the participation of additional exporters, and the approval of more slaughterhouses. However, domestic meat prices have surged in recent years, with buffalo meat prices doubling from Rs700 per kg to Rs1,400, while chicken prices have hit record highs.

Conversely, exports of vegetables declined by 18.14 percent during July-January 2025, mainly due to a drop in onion, potato, and tomato shipments. Fruit exports also recorded a slight decline of 0.24 percent, while fish and seafood exports showed minimal growth of 1.25 percent.

Friends Afar: How do Chinese scientists grow soybeans in Pakistan? | Macau Business

https://www.macaubusiness.com/friends-afar-how-do-chinese-scientist...

Hafiz Mamoon Rehman, born in a small village in Pakistan’s Punjab province, grew up surrounded by golden wheat and cotton as white as snow. Unlike the generations before him who toiled the land, he chased academic excellence and sought knowledge beyond the familiar terrain of his homeland.
“Agriculture is food for poor countries,” he says.

Rehman’s journey led him to the fields of biotechnology, where he grappled with the intricacies of herbicide resistance and genetically modified wheat. In 2016, while pursuing his doctorate at Chonnam National University in South Korea, he chose soybeans as the subject of his long-term research.

He cast his resume into the world, reaching out to soybean experts across the globe. It was a message from Professor Lam Hon-ming of the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s School of Life Sciences that set the stage for what was to come.

Lam, a prominent expert in agricultural science, has decoded the genomes of 31 soybean varieties and bred non-genetically modified germplasms that are tolerant to drought and salinity. He was also the first researcher from Hong Kong to participate in a national-level space agricultural research project.

Two years later, Rehman joined Lam’s lab, completing a successful three-year postdoctoral stint. Hong Kong became a dream for him, a place where he built up a family and memories, including the birth of his child at Prince of Wales Hospital.

Yet, despite the allure of the vibrant city, Rehman never lost sight of his goal — returning home and using his knowledge to help his people. “Hong Kong has a better life. But I think if you really want to serve the farmer community, you should come to some agricultural country and serve.”


Pakistan, primarily an agrarian nation, faces challenges due to limited crop diversity and the adverse effects of climate change. With most of its agricultural land dedicated to five traditional crops and suffering from low soybean yield and quality, the country relies heavily on soybean imports for animal feed, unlike China’s familiarity and consumption of soy products.

Professor Iqrar Ahmad Khan, vice-chancellor of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, explains that Pakistan spends up to $2 billion annually importing around 300,000 metric tons of soybeans. “What’s important now is to bring in soybean as a mainstream green crop.”
Sowing hope

After years of growth and learning, Rehman became a beacon of hope at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, developing local soybean varieties suited for the conditions

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Lam said he hopes these students could observe their homeland from a different perspective and understand the connection between Hong Kong and Pakistan.

After a 10-hour flight and a layover, Lam and his team touched down in Lahoreamid tight security. The trip, meant to be a straightforward agricultural exchange, nowrequired navigating a complex security landscape.

Punjab, Pakistan’s breadbasket, was the destination — a province with more than 100 million people and the most developed agricultural sector in the country.

“Introducing soybeans to Punjab is not an easy task,” says Rehman, noting the crop’s novelty to local farmers. In the following days, Rehman and Lam’s team visited various villages, encountering soybean plots tucked away among cornfields, coriander, and winter melons, or nestled within vast sunflower expanses.

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The high temperatures of Punjab, edging close to 50 degrees C, posed a significant challenge. “The extremely hot weather almost melted everything,” Zhang says.

But the resilient seeds provided by Lam sprouted, offering a glimmer of hope. “I used to give them seeds that were already stable. This year, I brought new seeds that are still changing. It’s only by starting from a seed and struggling together that they can develop new varieties that truly belong there,” says Lam.

Despite rising prices, Pakistan’s love for sugar remains unshaken

https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2025/3/21/despite-rising-prices-...

Pakistan’s total sugar production for the current financial year, which will end in July 2025, is forecasted at 6.8 million tonnes, while consumption is expected to be about 6.7 million tonnes.

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With overall inflation down and costs of other commodities stable, consumers are willing to pay more for sugar, especially during Ramadan, even as the government scrambles to curb prices.

Islamabad, Pakistan – When Ayesha Khan, a mother of four, was buying groceries for her family this week, sugar was high on her shopping list.

A few miles away in the corridors of power, Pakistan’s government and bureaucrats were trying to thrash out a fix for sugar’s soaring prices. But for Khan, buying sugar was a necessity.

“It has been almost 20 days since Ramadan began, and this will be the third time I am buying a five-kilogramme bag of sugar for the family,” Khan, who is in her 30s, told Al Jazeera while shopping in an Islamabad market frequented mostly by middle-class customers.

“What can I say? We all have a sweet tooth, and we love our sugary tea and rooh afza!” she added, laughing, referring to the popular rose-flavoured beverage.

General inflation in the country has trended downwards over the past year, with inflation crashing from 23.06 percent in February 2024 to 1.5 percent in February this year. This was after inflation had reached a record high of 38 percent in May 2023.

However, over the past few months, the price of sugar has increased by nearly 22 percent, rising from 140 rupees per kilogramme ($0.50) in January to 171 rupees per kilogramme ($0.61) in the second week of March, according to Pakistan’s Bureau of Statistics.

But in the markets of Islamabad, many customers said that the increase in sugar prices was only a pinch, not a punch, to their wallets, adding that the stability of prices for other key commodities such as milk, wheat and rice helped them balance their budgets.

Mohammad Shehzad, 27, was buying jalebi – a spiral-shaped South Asian dessert made from all-purpose flour and soaked in hot sugar syrup.

He said that while Ramadan usually brought a slight increase in the prices of nearly every commodity, things had been worse in previous years.

“We do love to add sugar to our tea and desserts, of course, but because our overall expenditure is under control, the increase in sugar prices has not hurt us too much,” he told Al Jazeera while placing an order for three kilogrammes of jalebi, sold for 650 rupees ($2.32) per kilogramme, for an iftar dinner at his house.

Ramadan, with its daily rituals of suhoor and iftar — the predawn and post-sunset meals, respectively — often brings a slightly higher consumption of various food items.

Wajid Mehmood, the manager of Shikarpuri Sweets, the dessert shop where Shehzad was buying jalebi from, said that while the overall input cost had increased due to rising sugar prices, it had mainly affected profit margins.

“We purchase about 10 to 12 bags per day, each weighing 50kg, for our six branches. One bag currently costs us 8,500 rupees ($30). Before Ramadan, it cost us 7,800 rupees ($27) per bag,” he said.

However, Mehmood said that the shop owners had decided not to pass the increased cost on to customers during Ramadan.

“Maybe the price will be raised a little at Eid,” he said, referring to the festive period that follows the month of fasting.

For some, like Muhammad Zahid, a juice vendor who has run his roadside stall for the past 32 years, pricing depends on a combination of factors, including increases in the prices of both sugar and fruits, such as apples, bananas and oranges. During Ramadan, he has no customers during the day.

“With Ramadan, my sugar requirements have naturally gone down, so my daily usage is between two to three kilogrammes, costing me 165 rupees ($0.59) per kilogramme these days,” he said while slicing fruits.