Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain, on Thursday met the Polish Ambassador in Islamabad to discuss ways to expand agricultural trade and cooperation. As per a statement, the talks focused on boosting Pakistan's exports to Poland and addressing sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) challenges that restrict access to European markets.
Hussain noted that Poland is among Europe's leading agricultural producers, ranking second globally in rye exports and third in apple exports, while also producing wheat, barley, oats, sugar beet, tobacco, fruits and potatoes. He said Pakistan and Poland could benefit significantly from collaboration in cereals, fruits, livestock and food processing.
The minister highlighted that Pakistani exporters face hurdles in meeting EU standards on transport, storage, aflatoxins and packaging. He sought Poland's support in harmonising SPS measures between Pakistan's Department of Plant Protection and Poland's National Plant Protection Organisation. He also called for cooperation in capacity development, food safety and certification systems to ease trade flows.
Currently, Pakistan exports rice, mangoes, sesame seeds, dates and alfalfa seed to Poland, though volumes remain limited compared to domestic surplus. Imports from Poland mainly include potato starch and tortilla wraps. Hussain identified citrus, rice, mangoes and animal products as high-potential exports and urged Poland to open its market to Pakistani citrus, which is already sold in more than 40 countries, including the UK, Norway and Russia.
Both sides also discussed strengthening cooperation in livestock. Hussain proposed setting up a Joint Working Group on Livestock to enhance collaboration in veterinary sciences, animal health, meat trade and dairy production. He pointed out that Pakistan already exports animal casings to Poland and expressed interest in expanding into cooked meat, poultry and processed foods.
The meeting also explored joint work in agricultural research and innovation. Areas identified included exchange of elite crop genetic resources, post-harvest management, value addition, renewable energy in agriculture, biotechnology for land reclamation, water conservation, and knowledge-sharing in organic farming and certification.
Hussain reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to building long-term partnerships with Poland in agriculture and food security. He expressed confidence that greater cooperation would open new avenues for trade, technology transfer and sustainable farming practices.
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