A high level meeting chaired by Haroon Akhtar Khan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production, reviewed key challenges and growth opportunities in Pakistan’s agriculture sector, with a special focus on reducing post harvest losses and boosting exports.
The meeting was attended by officials from the Ministry of Industries and Production, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority, and a delegation of Kisan Ittehad. Discussions centered on agriculture, fruits and vegetables, their preservation, and export potential.
Representatives of Kisan Ittehad highlighted that the absence of modern preservation, packaging, food processing, and cold storage facilities is causing significant wastage of fruits and vegetables across the country, leading to major financial losses for farmers.
Haroon Akhtar said that value addition and modern packaging are critical to increasing exports of fruits and vegetables and added that SMEDA will play an important role in equipping farmers and exporters with modern techniques and skills.
He also stressed the need to improve cold chain infrastructure and expand production capacity in the fisheries sector, noting that investment in aquaculture technology and cold storage systems is essential for growth.
The PM aide directed SMEDA to work with Kisan Ittehad and other stakeholders on a comprehensive policy and action plan, saying that stronger quality control and export branding can help Pakistan secure a stronger position in global agriculture and fisheries markets.