By Our Correspondent
LAHORE: A business delegation of Chinese companies visited Agriculture House Lahore to strengthen mutual cooperation in the agriculture sector. Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Punjab, Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani and Secretary Agriculture Punjab Iftikhar Ali Sahoo warmly welcomed the delegation.
Led by Mr. Gou Yuguo, the 18-member Chinese delegation also participated in a consultative session aimed at enhancing agricultural collaboration between China and Punjab. The session included detailed discussions on agricultural mechanization, smart farming, and agricultural digitalization.
In his address, the Minister for Agriculture Punjab stated that the Chief Minister of Punjab is fully committed to promoting agricultural mechanization. In line with this vision, the Punjab government is providing subsidies on modern agricultural machinery and has also launched leasing schemes, which are expected to usher in a new agricultural revolution in the province. He further stated that China is a global leader in agricultural technology, and Punjab is keen to benefit from China’s experience in the sector. He emphasized Punjab’s status as the food basket of Pakistan and expressed strong interest in adopting Chinese support for modern farming techniques and technologies. The Minister also invited Chinese companies to invest in Punjab’s agriculture sector.
Speaking on the occasion, Secretary Agriculture Punjab Iftikhar Ali Sahoo said that all possible resources are being utilized to ensure the availability of modern agricultural machinery to farmers. He described the session with the Chinese delegation as highly informative and appreciated their offers to support agricultural advancement in Punjab. He added that the Government of Punjab, through the Bank of Punjab, is offering interest-free loans for the purchase of modern machinery.
Director General Strategic Projects, Major General (R) Shahid Nazir, stated that under the Green Pakistan Initiative, the availability of modern harvesters, drones, and other advanced agricultural tools is a top priority of the government. He emphasized the need for Chinese cooperation in smart farming and agricultural engineering, stating that Chinese agri-tech will pave the way for development in Punjab.
Representatives from leading Chinese companies—Weifang Shengchuan, JOTEC, Weichai Lovol, PIESAT, and CIECC—also attended the consultative session. They gave briefings on various categories of machinery, including small and mid-sized equipment like power tillers, mini harvesters, and rotary cultivators, as well as large-scale machines like combine harvesters, multifunctional tractors, and eco-friendly advanced machines. One representative presented introduction about smart agricultural technology, including IOT-connected machinery and autonomous tractors.
The session was also attended by Special Secretary Agriculture Agha Nabeel Akhtar, Additional Secretary (Admin) Ijaz Munir, Director Generals Agriculture Naveed Asmat Kahloon, Ch. Abdul Hameed, Engineer Sajid Naseer, and Project Director Agriculture Department Dr. Anjum Ali.
