Punjab’s Agriculture Department signed two landmark agreements in Beijing on Tuesday to advance the adoption of Chinese high-tech agricultural technologies and accelerate modernisation in Pakistan’s largest food-producing province.
The delegation, led by Provincial Minister for Agriculture Sayed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani, included Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture Usama Khan Leghari and Secretary for Agriculture Iftikhar Ali Soho.
MoUs to Boost Mechanisation and Research
Punjab inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the China Agricultural Machinery Distribution Association (CAMDA) and another pact with China’s National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration. The agreements focus on enhancing agricultural research, introducing advanced farming technologies, and cutting post-harvest losses.
The MoU with CAMDA establishes a Joint Working Group to deepen cooperation in agricultural machinery manufacturing. Kirmani noted that this step fulfils the vision of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, who directed a province-wide farm mechanisation program to improve productivity.
“Over 125 CAMDA companies producing advanced agricultural machinery are eager to invest in Punjab’s modernisation drive,” Kirmani said, adding that a CAMDA delegation would soon visit the province to explore investment and technology transfer opportunities.
China–Punjab Collaboration for Modern Farming
Secretary of Agriculture Iftikhar Ali Soho highlighted China’s expertise, calling it “a global leader in agriculture.” He said Punjab represents “a promising market for modern agricultural services” and that the collaboration could “take Punjab’s farming sector to new heights.”
Meanwhile, Parliamentary Secretary Usama Fayyaz Khan Leghari described the MoUs as “historic,” revealing plans to establish plants for drone and modern machinery manufacturing in Punjab to reduce import dependency.
Hi-Tech Mechanisation Financing Program
The agreements come alongside Punjab’s Rs30 billion Hi-Tech Mechanisation Bank Financing Program, which offers interest-free loans of up to Rs30 million to farmers, agri-service providers, and entrepreneurs to purchase advanced machinery, much of it expected to come from Chinese manufacturers.
Officials say the mechanisation initiative aims not only to enhance productivity but also to address environmental concerns, such as reducing crop residue burning, a key cause of smog in the province.
These agreements mark a major step in China–Pakistan agricultural cooperation, aligning with Punjab’s broader agenda to modernise farming, attract foreign investment, and make agriculture more climate-resilient and technology-driven.
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