ISLAMABAD, June 20: Pakistan has announced the inauguration of Pakistan China Condiments Industry Alliance.
Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam announced the inauguration on Saturday afternoon stressing that the chilli farming project under the Alliance will enhance its production in the country.
He said the Pakistan China Condiments Industry Alliance will promote bilateral cooperation in the field.
To accelerate the promotion of the project, a webinar was organized by the China-Pakistan and Industrial Cooperation Platform and Syed Fakhar Imam, Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research participated as a guest speaker.
An official statement said that under the guidance of the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, the first China-Pakistan Agricultural and Industrial Cooperation Information Platform was officially launched in January 2020.
The platform has actively played the role as a communication channel to boost bilateral cooperation and exchanges in agriculture. In the joint efforts of the China Embassy in Pakistan, Ministry of National Food Security and Research, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority, China-Pakistan Agricultural Cooperation and Exchange Centre and the agriculture related companies from both countries, the chilli contract farming project has been launched.
The Minister said that cooperation between Pakistan and China in agriculture will give a boost to the sector. China has advanced in the agriculture sector and Pakistan can learn from China by adopting their farming techniques.
He further said that research institutions should be upgraded, technology transfer, value addition, marketing and public private partnership are some of the areas which can be worked on for the benefit of both countries.
He said that the Chilli Project will be helpful in enhancing the chilli production in Pakistan. He further added that bilateral cooperation will enhance agriculture productivity resulting in an increase in the export of agricultural products of the country.
The Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Nong Rong, said that Chinese companies have planted about 100 acres of chilli crop in Punjab province through cooperation of their Pakistani partners and it is being planned to expand this area in the next few years and set up a chilli processing factory in the future to improve the livelihood of the local farmers, and raise local production of chillies for export.
