Ambassador of France Mr Nicolas Galey, Federal Secretary, Ministry of National Food Security & Research, Amir Mohyuddin on Wednesday signed a workplan for phytosanitary requirements of seed potatoes import from France.
Recently, Pakistan was in negotiations with France for import of high-quality seed potatoes from France, with discussions started in February 2025 between their officials focusing on finalizing pest risk analysis (PRA) and import protocols for French seed potatoes to boost Pakistan’s potato sector.
The signing ceremony that took place at the Residence of France saw in attendance senior officials of the Ministries of National Food Security & Research and Commerce, Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) and those from the economic section of the Embassy of France.
Director General of the Department of Plant Protection (DPP) DrAttaullah Khan also signed the document for the long-term and disease-free seed potatoes’ import from France to Pakistan.
Ambassador Nicolas welcoming the guests at his residence observed that it was an occasion full of promise for the farmers of France and the agriculture sectors of both the countries.
It marked an important step in the strengthening of agricultural cooperation between France and Pakistan. He thanked the Pakistani authorities for their constructive engagement throughout this process.
Agriculture the ambassador said was at the heart of Pakistan’s economy and food security and ensured access to high-quality, disease-free planting material was essential to improve yields, support farmers’ incomes and strengthen resilience in the face of climate and sanitary challenges.
“France is proud to be a leading global producer of seed potatoes, recognized for its rigorous certification systems, strict phytosanitary controls and long-standing expertise. French seed potatoes are exported all over the world under the highest sanitary standards,” the ambassador said.
The work plan signed on the occasion reflected mutual trust between France and Pakistan’s respective phytosanitary authorities and their shared commitment to science-based, internationally aligned standards. It also provided a clear, transparent and secure framework that would enable the export of French seed potatoes to Pakistan while fully protecting plant health.
Beyond trade, the agreement opened doors to deeper technical cooperation, exchanges of expertise and long-term partnerships between our institutions and professionals, said the ambassador adding that France was committed to supporting Pakistan in its efforts to strengthen agricultural productivity, food security and sustainable development.
Strengthening bilateral relations between Pakistan and France is obviously our daily objective, and we are convinced that the agricultural sector is a particularly promising area in this regard, be it for trade, technical cooperation, investment, as well as training and education, he concluded by saying that France looked forward to welcoming a strong Pakistani delegation on the occasion of the Paris International Agricultural Show, a major international agricultural fair, which will take place in Paris from 21 February to 1 March 2026.
Amir Mohyuddin said Pakistan had a booming market of potatoes and round the year except for December only, potatoes are cultivated in one part or the other of the country. Seeds, he said are specialized things and couldn’t be produced locally.
Earlier, we imported seeds from the Netherlands but now we are keen to receive seeds from France as the French potatoes are leading agriculture products in the world. Pakistan, he said was surplus in potato growth (over 10 million tons) and with the help of the French seed potatoes would be able to produce potatoes according to the international standards and look forward to export them to France.
