Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has urged for expanded access to international markets for Pakistani agricultural products and the exploration of new markets, a move aimed at bolstering the nation’s agricultural exports. During a high-level meeting focused on the promotion of the agriculture sector, the Prime Minister stressed the crucial role of value addition in agricultural products and directed commercial officers stationed abroad to effectively promote these exports.

According to Radio Pakistan, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of an effective media campaign to inform farmers about a mobile application designed for crop monitoring. He highlighted the significant contribution of the agricultural sector to Pakistan’s economic stability and growth, underscoring the need for coordinated efforts between federal and provincial governments to boost agricultural productivity, innovate within the sector, and enhance the livestock industry.

The meeting revealed that Pakistan’s agricultural exports reached $5.18 billion in the last fiscal year, with key exports including rice, fisheries, halal meat, and various crops such as potatoes and mangoes. Participants proposed the development of value chains to further increase exports and suggested initiatives like the Digital Farmers’ Diary – Agri Stack for digitizing agricultural records.

Additionally, the activation of the National Agriculture and Food Security Council was discussed, with Chief Ministers expected to represent their provinces. The implementation of the Pakistan Good Agriculture Practices (Pak-GAP) system was also proposed to advance effective agricultural practices across the country.