By Azeem Ahmed Khan

Pakistan is stepping up efforts to expand agricultural exports, with China emerging as a key market where several Pakistani commodities already enjoy access and a fresh list of products is under negotiation.

According to documents of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFSR) available with Wealth Pakistan, the ministry, through the Department of Plant Protection (DPP), is facilitating market access, phytosanitary negotiations, pest risk analysis dossiers, development of export protocols and issuance of phytosanitary certificates in line with the import requirements of partner countries.

The documents show that the MNFSR may coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce to actively explore and facilitate access to new export markets for Pakistani agricultural products, particularly in China, Japan, the European Union and the United Kingdom. The objective is to enhance agricultural exports and expand market opportunities for farmers.

China remains the strongest focus in the latest official update. Pakistan and China maintain an established agricultural trade relationship, with several Pakistani agricultural commodities already enjoying market access and being exported to China under agreed phytosanitary protocols and import requirements.

The list of agricultural products currently approved for export to China includes mango, citrus, rice, rapeseed meal, onion, forage/Rhodes grass, cherry, dry chilli, plant-derived medicinal materials, sesame, maize, unmanufactured tobacco and cumin seed. The documents show that Pakistan is seeking to expand its agricultural exports to China beyond traditional products by pursuing market access for a wider range of commodities, including fruits, grains, oilseed products, spices, medicinal plants and other agricultural produce.

At the same time, the Department of Plant Protection, as the national plant protection organisation of Pakistan, is pursuing market access for additional agricultural products by submitting Pest Risk Analysis dossiers. The products under negotiation with China include bananas, shelled pistachios, guavas, shelled groundnuts, fresh grapes, other nuts, fresh plums, shelled cashew nuts, shelled almonds, fresh apples and fresh peaches.

According to the documents, the DPP is working to obtain market access by submitting Pest Risk Analysis dossiers, treatment protocols, technical information, compliance documents and responses to quarantine-related queries to meet the import requirements of destination countries.

Beyond China, the documents also refer to agricultural commodities currently exportable to Japan, the European Union and the United Kingdom. The DPP has also initiated negotiations with various countries, including Japan and the European Union, to export potatoes.

The documents show that the DPP is committed to providing technical and regulatory support to enhance exports of agricultural commodities.

Credit: INP-WealthPk