Punjab delegation signs two MoUs in Beijing for farm mechanization
By Amna Gul
BEIJING: A high-level delegation of the Punjab Agriculture Department is on an official visit to Beijing to accelerate the transfer of Chinese high-tech agricultural technologies to Pakistan’s largest food-producing province, aiming to usher in a new green revolution.
Led by Provincial Minister for Agriculture Sayed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani, the delegation includes Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture Usama Khan Leghari and Secretary Agriculture Iftikhar Ali Soho. The visit focuses on deepening cooperation with leading Chinese agricultural organizations and companies under Punjab’s new mechanization initiative launched last week.
According to Punjab Agriculture Department’s statement, the delegation held detailed talks with the China Agricultural Machinery Distribution Association (CAMDA), which led to the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and the establishment of a Joint Working Group between CAMDA and the Punjab government.
The delegation also signed an agreement with China’s National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration to enhance cooperation on agricultural research and reduce post-harvest losses.
According to Sayed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani, the visit is being undertaken on the directive of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif to give practical shape to the province’s new farm mechanization program.
“We are here to give practical shape to the mechanization initiatives launched earlier this week,” Kirmani said. “Under CAMDA, 125 companies are manufacturing the latest agricultural equipment, and they have shown keen interest in introducing modern technologies in Punjab. CAMDA’s delegation will soon visit Punjab; there are vast investment opportunities in the mechanization of our agriculture sector.”
Secretary Agriculture Iftikhar Ali Soho underlined the significance of the partnership, saying, “China is a global leader in agriculture. Punjab is an emerging market for agricultural services; this partnership can take our agriculture sector to new heights.”
In a social media post, Parliamentary Secretary Sardar Usama Fayyaz Khan Leghari termed the signing a “historic MoU” with leading Chinese multinational companies, noting that plants to manufacture modern machinery and drones will be set up in Pakistan. “Punjab’s agriculture sector will be modernized, Insha’Allah. Punjab will grow, agriculture will progress,” he said.
The visit comes at a pivotal time, following the launch of Punjab’s ambitious Rs. 30 billion Hi-Tech Mechanization Bank Financing Program aimed at modernizing the province’s farming sector through large-scale adoption of Chinese technology. The program provides interest-free bank financing of up to PKR 30 million, to enable farmers, service providers and agri-entrepreneurs to acquire modern machinery, mostly Chinese agri-tech.
The visit also aims to support Punjab’s environmental goals by helping reduce crop residue burning, one of the major contributors to smog in the province, alongside traffic and industrial pollution. Chinese technology is already being used to control smog in Lahore, and officials hope mechanization will further help tackle the issue.
