FAZAL SHER

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad and Beijing Friday agreed to start export of potato on urgent basis to China after fulfilling the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures.

Both side agreed during a meeting between Chinese Ambassador Yao Ying and Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Sahibzada Muhammad Mehboob Sultan. During the meeting it was decided that a delegation of Chinese experts would soon visit Pakistan to finalise the arrangements.

Currently potato growers are in a deep financial crisis as they have been compelled to sell their crops below the cost of production. Average per annum potato production is 4.5 million tonnes against the local consumption of 2.4 to 2.5 million tonnes, said an official of Ministry of National Food Security and Research.

He said that after domestic consumption and procurement of seed for the next growing season for potato, the country has surplus production well over 1.5 million tonnes. He said that surplus production can generate huge foreign exchange for the country if it is exported.

Ying said that Chinese companies are interested to come and build Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in all areas and agriculture is one of the six major areas identified by his government. China will soon invite Pakistani agriculture experts to monitor hybrid rice seed and monitor the facility, he said.

The Chinese Ambassador said that China wants to build stronger socio-economic ties with Pakistan on the basis of reciprocity. China wants to import more from Pakistan and most desirable food items are cherries, potato, wheat, citrus, rice and mangoes.

The minister said that China is the 4th largest export market of Pakistan. Both the countries have signed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) which has facilitated to expand bilateral trade. The visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to China in November last was very important as both sides signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on agriculture cooperation also.

“We are ready to resolve the issue of export of Chinese hybrid seed to Pakistan. The matter would be resolved through formal procedure of diplomatic channel,” Sultan said.

The minister said that foot and mouth disease (FMD) free zone and a memorandum for the establishment of FMD free zone is currently negotiated by both sides. “We believe in ease of doing business and if we collaborate for the elimination of FMD, it will boost our meat export to China,” he said.

Sultan invited Chinese experts to visit three districts of Punjab which are identified as FMD free zone. He also expressed his desire that both countries in coming Joint Working Group meeting will deliberate upon working on establishing FMD vaccine plant in Pakistan with the Chinese assistance.

He said, “We could identify and start working on areas of mutual benefit in the field of agriculture before the Belt and Road Conference on April 27, 2019 in China.

We would welcome the experts in cotton, rice, cage culture fisheries and citrus to Pakistan. We are open to learn from those experts as our ultimate goal is to move towards food security, zero hunger and ultimately poverty alleviation.”