Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif calls for stronger federal-provincial coordination, value addition, new export markets and digital tools to modernize Pakistan’s agriculture sector.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has called for stronger cooperation between the federal and provincial governments to improve agricultural productivity and expand Pakistan’s agricultural exports.
Chairing a high-level meeting on agriculture development and export promotion on Friday, the prime minister emphasized the need for coordinated policies to increase output per acre, encourage innovation and strengthen the livestock sector.
Focus on Global Market Expansion
The prime minister directed relevant authorities to improve access for Pakistani agricultural products in international markets while identifying and developing new destinations for exports. Commercial officers working at Pakistan’s diplomatic missions were also instructed to actively support the promotion of agricultural products overseas.
The meeting was informed that Pakistan’s agricultural exports reached US$5.18 billion during the last financial year. Rice, fisheries, halal meat, potatoes, sesame, tobacco, mangoes and maize were listed among the country’s leading agricultural export products.
China, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Gulf countries were identified as key markets, while officials proposed developing stronger value chains to increase the export potential of agricultural products.
Value Addition Seen as Key to Growth
Prime Minister Shehbaz stressed that value addition would be crucial for increasing agricultural earnings and improving Pakistan’s position in international markets. He described agriculture as an important pillar of economic growth and stability.
The government also plans to make the National Agriculture and Food Security Council functional, with chief ministers representing their respective provinces.
Digital Farmers’ Records Proposed
A major proposal discussed at the meeting was the Digital Farmers’ Diary-Agri Stack, aimed at digitizing information about farmers and agricultural land across Pakistan.
The proposed system would also maintain digital records of soil and water testing, potentially helping farmers and authorities make better decisions based on agricultural data.
Officials further proposed the introduction of a Pakistan Good Agriculture Practices (Pak-GAP) system to encourage improved farming techniques and increase productivity.
Financing and Farmer Awareness
The prime minister directed authorities to launch an effective media campaign to inform farmers about the mobile application used for crop monitoring. Better agricultural financing facilities were also proposed to support exporters and encourage growth across the sector.
The meeting was attended by federal ministers, advisers, ministers of state and senior government officials, who reviewed various measures aimed at modernizing agriculture and strengthening Pakistan’s export base.