ISLAMABAD, Nov 24 (NNN-XINHUA) – Protocol of Inspection and Quarantine Requirements, for the Export of Onion from Pakistan to China, was signed during a ceremony held here.
Speaking at the ceremony, Pakistan’s Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Syed Fakhar Imam, said that, his country’s onion export will get a boost, when the Chinese market also becomes its export destination.
He said, China is a very sophisticated market, and it buys high-quality onions for its consumers from across the world, adding, he hopes that Pakistan’s “agricultural community and our people in the government will be able to attain those standards to meet the requirements of the Chinese people.”
“Today we are the sixth largest producer of onions in the world. And we are hoping, with better quality of onions that we will be able to process, we will also be able to send out onions and processed onions to China,” he added.
Speaking at the event, Chinese ambassador to Pakistan, Nong Rong said, in recent years, China-Pakistan agricultural trade was growing rapidly from 490 million U.S. dollars in 2011, to 830 million U.S. dollars in 2019.
“Though affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, bilateral agricultural trade volume still remained at a high level, with an amount of 770 million U.S. dollars. This year, from Jan to Sept, China-Pakistan agricultural trade achieved a record of 860 million U.S. dollars, of which the export from Pakistan to China was 630 million U.S. dollars, a twofold increase on year on year basis,” he added.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has entered a new phase of high-quality development, focusing on industrial and agricultural cooperation, he said, adding that, both countries are highly complementary with great potential for pragmatic cooperation in the agriculture sector, including plantation, food process, cold chain storage and contract farming, among others.– NNN-XINHUA
