LAHORE: Pakistan is about to start a major dairy exporting journey to China by establishing a state-of-the-art farm in Sheikhupura.
The announcement was made by Secretary of Livestock Masaud Anwar on Wednesday at the “Pakistan Agricultural Coalition’s Agri-Connections 2024” event held at Expo Centre Lahore.
He disclosed that a Chinese Customs team had visited the FAM Farm in Sheikhupura and had informally given Pakistan’s dairy exports approval.
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Iftikhar Sahoo, Secretary of Agriculture, stressed the role of the private sector in determining the direction of agriculture during his speech at the occasion.
He gave an overview of the government’s plans for the industry, which included an estimated investment of Rs 100 billion for the following two years. The province’s watercourses will be updated as the primary focus of this investment, which will total Rs 80 billion over the following three years.
Sahoo outlined the difficulties facing Pakistan’s agricultural industry, such as declining crop area, sluggish crop output, and the loss of agricultural land to housing developments.
He predicted a six million-ton wheat shortage by 2033 and issued a warning about food shortages. Sahoo emphasized that to overcome these obstacles, modernization and creativity are required.
National Foods Limited’s (NFL) Global CEO, Abrar Hasan, spoke about the NFL’s ‘Seed to Table’ initiative, which was introduced in August 2023.
The objective of this project is to empower local farmers and lessen Pakistan’s reliance on imported raw resources. With $2 million in savings and a possible $10 million localization, Hasan lauded the project’s early success.
Establishing Pakistan’s agricultural sector as globally competitive was highlighted by Arif Nadeem, CEO of the Pakistan Agricultural Coalition.
He underlined how important it is for lawmakers and the administration to deal with the problems brought up during Agri-Connections 2024.
The occasion provided a forum for the expansion of the agriculture industry and the creation of an atmosphere that encouraged investment.
Pakistan’s ‘Seed to Table’ project and other initiatives, such as exporting dairy products to China, would help it solidify its place in the world agriculture market.