In order to meet 10000 metric tonnes (MT) sesame export target to China by the end of 2025, Pakistan-China agriculture cooperation and China-led “contract forming” initiative are in full swing under CPEC-driven agri advancements. Introduced by Chinese companies especially by China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) Pakistan, sesame contract farming spreading over 5000 acres is becoming instrumental to increase export volume, growers training on modern liens, transfer of agriculture-based technology, high-income generation to farmers, and revamp of input and output of Agri-infrastructure.

CMEC official Mr Liu told Gwadar Pro that Pakistan’s sesame export target to China stands at 10000 metric tonnes. “Despite the fact that flood devastation may inflict dents to set target but It is attainable as contract farming has taken effect in the light of CPEC agriculture cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative’s agriculture collaborations,” he said. CMEC Pakistan, part of CMEC group (a flagship company of SINOMACH Group, one of the largest manufacturing & trading groups in China), debuted contract farming with around 500 acres in Pakistan in 2020.

“It is expected that sesame exports to China will exceed $1 billion in the coming years. Pakistan’s exports of sesame seeds to China exceeded $226 million in 2024, marking a significant development in bilateral trade relations. This export growth reflects the increasing demand for Pakistani agricultural products in the Chinese market and highlights potential areas for further economic cooperation. The rise in sesame seed exports in recent years can be attributed to several factors, including enhanced agricultural practices, improved quality control measures, and the establishment of direct trade links between Pakistani farmers and Chinese importers.

Chinese importers have also expressed satisfaction with the quality of the seeds, which are widely used in cooking oil, snacks, and health foods. CMEC another official Xi Alan said that the Biohealth Sesame Order Demonstration Farm, part of the China-Pakistan Biohealth Agriculture Overseas Technology Demonstration Park has introduced 17 sesame verities so far. “The project — jointly developed by China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC), NWAFU, and Pakistan’s Ayub Agricultural Research Institute — has also unveiled production technologies.

“Through trials, we identified varieties best suited to Pakistan and established technical standards for bio-healthy sesame production,” he explained. In the past, Pakistan’s agriculture exports were in a sorry state of affairs. An annual report titled “The State of Economy 2017-18” launched by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) revealed that “in the agriculture sector, out of China’s global food imports of around $99.6 billion in 2018, Pakistan’s share was only around 0.37 percent.

Under such a dismal situation, CPEC, BRI’s flagship project, came into action on agriculture cooperation. With Pak-China burgeoning agriculture cooperation, Pakistan exported different agriculture products worth $610 million to China in the first half of 2022. Pakistan’s total various Agri exports to China touched the figure of around $1 billion in 2023. If joint cooperation continues, Pakistan’ total agriculture export potential to China to reach more than $20 billion in the coming years.

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