Argentina to help curb high agri-losses

KARACHI:

Argentine Ambassador Sebastian Sayus has offered Argentina's expertise in advanced agricultural machinery, grain storage technologies and post-harvest management to help Pakistan tackle significant losses in its agricultural produce, while identifying promising opportunities for joint ventures and business-to-business partnerships in agriculture, dairy and pharmaceuticals.

Speaking during his visit to the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Sayus highlighted that Pakistan lost 10-20% of its grain production and 35-40% of its horticultural produce annually, largely due to inefficient storage facilities and inadequate post-harvest management. He noted that Argentina, being one of the world's leading food-exporting countries, possessed considerable expertise in agricultural machinery and modern storage solutions, including silo bags and metallic silos, which could be effectively introduced and developed in Pakistan.

He expressed confidence that Argentina could play a meaningful role in helping Pakistan strengthen its agricultural supply chain, reduce wastage and improve the value of its agricultural output. With Pakistan increasingly focusing on large-scale agricultural storage solutions, he saw considerable scope for cooperation, technology transfer and mutually beneficial investment in this critical sector.

The ambassador also identified significant potential for collaboration in the dairy industry, besides highlighting Argentina's advanced pharmaceutical capabilities, especially in the manufacturing of oncology products used in cancer treatment.