By Han Lu

 

YANGLING, Oct 28, (China Economic Net)- As this year's guest country, Pakistan's pavilion has captivated countless consumers and visitors at the 31st China Yangling Agricultural Hi-tech Fair. In the sales area, Aqi Muhammad enthusiastically markets his products in fluent Chinese. "Red bracelets look especially good on Chinese people; they really enhance your skin tone. Let me help you try one on. No pressure to buy, just ask your husband how it looks." he offers to a customer.

 

 

"After just four hours since opening, I've already made many sales. Customers are currently in a waiting phase, but I expect a surge in orders over the final two days. Last year, I also participated in the Agri-Fair, and Yangling was the best for selling bracelets," Aqi Muhammad, a businessman from Lahore, shared. His products are manufactured entirely in Pakistan and shipped to China; he has been traveling between the two countries for over a decade.

 

Meanwhile, Hussain Syed Arif from Karachi also manages some simple Chinese phrases. Although not particularly talkative, his copper handicrafts draw in curious customers. "Chinese buyers appreciate Pakistani crafts as a sign of good taste, and business is booming," he notes. Like Aqi, his items are handcrafted in Pakistan, benefiting from the ease of export created by the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and free trade agreements.

 

Aside from the products, the displays of agricultural achievements from both China and Pakistan have garnered significant attention, attracting officials from around the world eager to learn more about collaborative efforts.

 

 

Yao Hongjuan, Director of the Shaanxi Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, and Khalil Hashm, the Pakistani Ambassador to China, paused at the Sichuan Puji Holdings Co., Ltd. (hereafter referred to as Puji Holdings) Agricultural’s booth to learn more about project progress. Puji Holdings has launched a demonstration project for chili cultivation in Pakistan, recognized as one of the inaugural agricultural initiatives under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

 

"We have a 30,000-acre cultivation area in Pakistan, where we grow peppers using seeds and technology sourced from China, after harvesting the chili, we will process them minimally for sale back to China....Pakistan has great potential for agricultural development, with land prices and labor costs much lower than in China.," explained Duan Hongjun, Deputy General Manager of Puji Holdings."We currently employ 120 Pakistani staff, over 80% of whom hold postgraduate degrees in agriculture-related fields." 

In addition to training local agricultural technicians, his company plans to introduce Chinese machinery this year to enhance efficiency and precision in harvesting and sorting. To mitigate quality degradation during storage and transport, the team aims to establish a production chain in Pakistan next year for cleaning, drying, and grinding the peppers, fostering professional development in the country's pepper industry.

 

On the other side of the pavilion, another standout in China-Pakistan agricultural cooperation, Wuhan Qingfa Hesheng Agricultural Development Co., Ltd., was explaining its project objectives and achievements to visitors. For nearly two decades, the company has promoted hybrid rice in Pakistan, registering eight rice varieties and one rapeseed variety.

 

 

"Since 2009, we have consistently invested in canola breeding research in Pakistan, collaborating with local agricultural firms to conduct trials and selection. After a decade of work, we developed a new generation of high-quality hybrid canola, HC-021C, which boasts an oil content of over 38%, a 10% improvement over local conventional varieties. This variety not only produces superior oil but also yields canola meal rich in high-quality protein, making it suitable for animal feed and organic fertilizer. Registered by the Pakistan Agricultural Commission and supported by Punjab's government subsidies, it has been promoted on over 400,000 ha by 2023. According to Chinese customs data, this variety is the ‘single champion’ in canola seed exports to Pakistan," said Chen Yaodong, supervisor of the company, as he presented to ambassadors and Chinese provincial leaders. The visitors were impressed by the achievements of Sino-Pakistani agricultural cooperation.

 

"This agricultural high-tech fair also hosted proactive B2B seminars and matchmaking sessions for scholars and businessmen, providing an excellent opportunity for our company to network and gather information," said Chen.

 

 

Nuran Niyazaliyev, Deputy Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, in an interview noted, "The agricultural demonstration base established in Yangling is a Chinese initiative aimed at hosting annual international exchange activities that significantly strengthen friendships and cooperation among member states. This year's fair provides a platform for promoting multilateral cooperation, training, and exchanges, enabling participants to learn from China's successful experiences."