Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif stated that there are vast opportunities for increasing agriculture exports in Pakistan. He emphasized that exports can be enhanced through modern technology and research and development, and that the target for agriculture exports for the next year should be $7 billion.
During the opening ceremony of the Second International Food and agriculture Exhibition in Karachi on Friday, the Prime Minister congratulated Arshad Nadeem at the start of his speech, saying, “We congratulate our hero Arshad Nadeem on winning the gold medal at the Olympics. After 40 years, Pakistan has achieved a gold medal, which is an extremely important moment and a great honor for us. Arshad Nadeem has achieved a historic feat by winning the gold medal, making the country proud.”
The Prime Minister further said that Pakistan must also achieve success in other sports, including cricket and hockey. He expressed gratitude to Allah for Arshad Nadeem’s success, which has given hope and encouragement. “Life is full of challenges, but if we persevere, nothing is impossible. Arshad Nadeem will receive a grand welcome upon his return to Pakistan.”
In his speech, the Prime Minister stated that Pakistan’s agriculture exports have reached $3 billion and that the target for next year should be $7 billion. He praised the exporters and relevant authorities for their efforts in increasing exports and stressed the need to ensure an increase in per-acre yield by adopting modern technology and methods.
The Prime Minister said that the federal and provincial governments need to work together to focus on the development of the agriculture sector. He highlighted that agriculture experts can help increase production, and there is a need to focus more on research and development. He reiterated that exports can be increased through modern technology and research and development, as there are vast opportunities to enhance agriculture exports in Pakistan. He also emphasized the need to move towards value addition of agriculture products.
The Prime Minister called for increasing the provision of loans in rural areas for small and medium-sized industries, stating that the development of rural areas will lead to the development of the country. He noted that China has made significant progress in agriculture by utilizing modern technology. The government of Pakistan is ready to provide all kinds of support to exporters and farmers, and by providing loans to farmers in rural areas, production can be increased.
In his speech, the Prime Minister mentioned that during his visit to China, he toured a state-of-the-art center where progress was ensured through modern technology. The current government is taking significant steps to develop the agriculture sector and increase exports. The approval has been given to convert 28,000 electric tube wells in Balochistan to solar energy. The federal government will send 1,000 students to China for advanced agriculture training. The government of Pakistan is committed to providing facilities to farmers and exporters, and there are also vast opportunities for cooperation between China and Pakistan in the livestock sector.
The Prime Minister said that Pakistan has unique relations with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, and Turkey. He noted that not only can exports, minerals, and other sectors be promoted with the Gulf countries, but joint agriculture projects can also be initiated. “If we make hard work our motto, every difficulty can be overcome.”
Later, the Prime Minister inaugurated the Second International Food and Agriculture Exhibition and inspected various stalls. He was briefed about the stalls, met delegates from different countries, and exchanged views with them. The Prime Minister also presented awards to exporters for their outstanding performance in the agriculture sector.
Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan and Chief Executive of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan Zubair Motiwala also addressed the ceremony.
The event was attended by Governor Sindh Kamran Khan Tessori, Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah, Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan, Federal Minister for Finance Muhammad Aurangzeb, Federal Minister for Industries and Production Rana Tanveer Hussain, Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, and Federal Minister for Education and Vocational Training Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui.
