The participation of over 200 Chinese businessmen in Pakistan’s first International Food and Agriculture Exhibition Karachi shows China’s great interest in Pakistan’s agro products and their exports to China. The largest participation from China was confirmed by the Ambassador of Pakistan to China Moin ul Haque in a recent tweet. The ambassador termed it as the biggest ever delegation of businessmen from China showing the country’s greater interest in Pakistan’s agriculture industry. The event attended by more than 680 delegates from Africa, China, US and Oceania was also appreciated by the Pakistan business community. They called it a great initiative to promote Pakistan’s agricultural and food potential and proposed to hold such events in future also.

According to Gwadar Pro, Chela Ram Kevlani, Chairman of Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP), extended his profound appreciation to the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) for flawlessly executing FoodAg 2023. Kevlani commended the exceptional event as a pivotal platform for effectively connecting rice exporters with international buyers. The event witnessed $410 million worth of deals and the signing of 10 MoUs, bringing together more than 221 exporters who showcased over 500 high-quality products to the world. The products in focus included meat and poultry products, processed food, rice, salt, sea food, tobacco, vegetables, spices, juices, nectars, biscuits and confectionery, dairy, dates, dry fruits, fruits, honey, beverages, oil, and cereals.

According to TDAP the objective of FoodAg was to introduce Pakistani products in the conventional and non-conventional markets to enhance the agro based exports and to facilitate the availability of raw and value-added products to the international community. Pakistan being an agricultural country contributes 22.7 percent to the National GDP and provides employment to around 37 percent of the population. Cotton, sugarcane, rice, wheat and maize are the major crops cultivated in the country along with many minor crops. Pakistan is among the top ten producers of wheat, rice, cotton, sugarcane, mango, dates and mandarins.  As per the statistics, Agro-Food exports contribute 17% to the national exports of Pakistan. The main products exported are rice, meat, fruits & vegetables, tobacco, spices and seafood.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China