BEIJING, Nov. 19 (China Economic Net) – Fareena Mazhar, the Secretary, Board of Investment, addressed a webinar themed “China-Pakistan Agricultural Technology Cooperation and Prospects” in Beijing on November 19, 2020.

Ms Mazhar pointed out that agriculture is the mainstay of Pakistan's economy, accounting for almost a fifth of the economy and 42 percent of the workforce in 2019. However, agriculture productivity is declining, which impeded economic growth and caused food security concerns.

The FAO estimates that the Internet of Things (loT) can help increase agricultural productivity by 70pc by 2050. Ms Mazhar said Pakistan should start embracing modern agriculture technology and innovation to protect and enhance the natural resource base while increasing productivity.

As for the agriculture cooperation under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), it can prove to be greatly beneficial for both countries, according to Ms Mazhar.

Pakistan has a trade surplus with China in agricultural products. The volume of bilateral trade in this area has been growing strongly in recent years. China's imports of agricultural products from Pakistan had increased from $181 million in 2010 to $476 million in 2019, up 163.1 percent.

She said the natural resource endowments between Pakistan and China remain complementary, laying a solid basis for expanding cooperation and driving Pakistan's agricultural progress through adopting advanced technologies in the future.

Pakistan is rich in many agricultural production essentials like land and manpower. As per a study, Pakistan’s per capita cultivated land area is twice that of China. While, the yields of major crops in Pakistan such as wheat and rice are only about 50 percent of those in China.

China has strengths in agricultural science and technology, mechanization, water conservancy engineering, etc. In 2019, the contribution rate of science and technology to China's agricultural growth was recorded at 59.2 per cent, and the mechanization level of crop cultivation and harvest in China exceeded 70 per cent.

The innovation of seed industry has been continuously promoted, and the coverage rate of improved seed varieties has been greatly improved.

The two countries can improve trade on high-quality seeds, and strengthen joint research on seed variety improvement of cash crops. To lift Pakistani agriculture's overall level of technology and Management, China and Pakistan should carry out technical exchanges on planting, pest control, livestock breeding management, drought and flood disaster response.

Under the guidance of the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan and the Pakistani Embassy in China, the webinar was jointly organized by China Economic Net, the Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies and The Express Tribune, which attracted over 300 participants from both China and Pakistan.