Pakistan and Malaysia to cooperate in agriculture and livestock

The two nations have signed an agreement for cooperation in the agriculture and livestock sectors, as Pakistan looks to increase organic farming as an alternative to chemical agriculture.

Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif said there were vast opportunities of promotion of bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and Malaysia in industrial, trade, agriculture, education and sectors.

Punjab was rich in natural resources and there was a wide scope for investment in livestock, dairy development, agriculture and other sectors. Punjab could also supply halal meat to Malaysia through joint ventures in livestock sector because Malaysia currently imports 60% of its halal meat from India and the remaining from other countries.

He said Punjab and Malaysia could start a joint meat processing project and public-private partnership could be promoted in this regard. The Punjab government can supply high quality rice and extend cooperation to Malaysia in the development of livestock sector.

Malaysian Minister for Agriculture Datuk Seri Noh Bin Haji Omar said Malaysia was interested in launching joint ventures with Punjab in agriculture and livestock, among other sectors of interest.

Organic farming is alternate to chemical agriculture, said Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) Chairman Dr Zafar Altaf, claiming that all organic materials available in Pakistan have nutrient capacity 10 times the amount of chemical fertilisers currently used by farmers.

Bio-fertiliser, bio-pesticide, bio-herbicide production units and olive oil extraction plants and mango harvesting and pre-cooling will bring radical changes in Pakistan, he said.

The PARC was moving towards hybrid crops production in cotton, wheat, rice, corn, sunflower, canola and vegetables.