China to help Pakistan set up phytosanitary facility

Food minister says both sides should work together on agri-research

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan’s future relies on agriculture and Prime Minister Imran Khan is keen to revive this sector, remarked National Food Security and Research Minister Syed Fakhar Imam while talking to Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing.

In a meeting on Thursday, the minister said that both countries needed to revisit contours of the agriculture sector and technical experts from the two sides should directly interact with each other in order to come up with concrete projects for agricultural research.

He said that Pakistan was facing the problem of lower yields, which could be overcome through the exchange of germplasm as an area of cooperation.

“It will provide the opportunity to develop high-yielding varieties of cotton, fruits, hybrid rice and wheat by our research centres,” the minister added.

Imam said that China was one of the largest markets in the world for the export of meat and meat products but Pakistan did not have access to it due to the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).

He stressed that it was an area where both the sides could collaborate.

He shared that it was decided that China would help in installing a phytosanitary system for increase in fruit exports and would also help in setting up vocational and technical institutes for the training of farmers and individuals related to the agriculture sector.

Also speaking on the occasion, the Chinese envoy expressed interest in mutual cooperation in the fishery sector at Gwadar.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 3^rd, 2020.

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