Minister urges China to enhance cooperation in agriculture

Federal Minister for National Food Security Fakhar Imam and Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing on Thursday agreed to increase cooperation between the two countries in agriculture and livestock sector as the Chinese envoy showed interest in mutual cooperation in fisheries at Gwadar.

According to a press release issued after the meeting, Imam told Jing that both the countries need to revisit the contours of their agricultural sectors. “Technical experts from the two sides should directly interact with each other to come up with concrete projects for agricultural research,” he said.

The federal minister said Pakistan is facing problem of low yield.

“So there must be exchange of ‘germplasm’ as an area of cooperation which will provide an opportunity to develop high yielding varieties for cotton, fruit, hybrid rice and wheat by our research centers.”

Germplasm are living genetic resources such as seeds or tissues that are maintained for the purpose of animal and plant breeding, preservation, and other research uses.

Imam said China is one of largest markets in the world for export of meat and meat products but Pakistan has no access to Chinese market due to the issue of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). The FMD is an infectious and fatal viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals.

“So collaboration is needed in this regard,” he said.

The minister said Balochistan is exceling in producing organic cotton. It was decided that China will help in installing ‘phytosanitary’ system for increasing fruit export. Phytosanitary relates to the health of plants, especially with respect to the requirements of international trade

It was also decided that China will help in building vocational and technical agriculture institutions for training farmers and other people. The minister said Plant Breeders Act and Plant Seed Act will give a window for branding our products.

The Chinese ambassador also showed interest in mutual cooperation in fishery at Gawadar.

Earlier, chairing a meeting about subsidy on tube wells, Imran said record of tube wells and ownership of land should be made on urgent basis. “A mechanism should be devised in consultation with the provincial governments to resolve problems of farmers on a priority basis,” he said.