KARACHI – The corporate and financial sectors are investing to develop agriculture in Pakistan.
This view emerged at the launch of The State of Pakistan’s Agriculture 2024 report by Pakistan Business Council (PBC) and Pakistan Agricultural Coalition (PAC) the other day.
Ehsan Malik, CEO of PBC, in his opening remarks said that agriculture sector has the greatest potential to contribute to economic and food security and uplift the rural population.
“This report highlights how the corporate sector is playing an impactful role in developing the agriculture sector,” he said.
Kazim Saeed, CEO of PAC, said the report documents how corporate and financial players are bringing capital, technology, and expertise to the agriculture sector for growth and prosperity.
“These prospects merit replication and scaling up for the growth of Pakistan’s agriculture,” he said, adding that many companies are adopting practices that reduce environmental impact, such as regenerative agriculture, eco-friendly production methods, and efficient resource use.
The event features presentations by the companies whose projects have been documented as case studies in the report.
Abrar Hasan, Global CEO National Foods Limited (NFL), applauded the efforts of PBC and PAC as well as other corporate sector players who are driving the agri sector towards growth.
Talking about NFL’s case study, he said that it is committed to self-sufficiency to increase exports as well as digitize farming in Pakistan, ultimately maintaining a robust value chain.
“Our products and our partnerships are a testament to the positive impact of technology. The “Seed to Table” initiative exemplifies our commitment to growth beyond borders, expanding to international markets as well as enabling the national economy through exports.
The initiative to develop the tomato value chain and create import substitution for tomato paste proved fruitful for the company and the country.
“We can create potential for exports by developing the value chain for tomato paste, as tomatoes have a high export potential compared to other crops” said Abrar, adding that the NFL intervention presents a strong example of how to respond to the sharp depreciation of the rupee in recent years.
