ISLAMABAD: Minister for Commerce Muhammad Pervaiz Malik on Monday said the government was prioritizing to facilitate the trade of dates and value addition to the sector.
Pakistan has a huge potential in Agri trade that needed to be exploited for the modernization, technological development and value addition in this sector, he said addressing as a chief guest in dates festival organized by Trade Development Authority (TDAP) here.He said Pakistan was the fourth largest grower of date in the world and value addition was must for enhancing export of the product.
The minister said for enhancing foreign trade, the government was committed to improve the standards according to the international market.
Infrastructure development and value addition in date growing areas would increase the employment opportunities and support for poverty alleviation in Balochistan and Sindh.
“We can attract the foreign investment through value addition in agriculture, which also increases the country’s foreign reserves,” he said. Pervaiz Malik said the government had planned to form strategy for research and workplace strategy to introduce the modern technology for enhancing the yield of date and modernize the export system.
On the occasion, Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Commerce and Textile, Syed Shibli Faraz said Pakistan was a agricultural country and “We need to enhance our export in this sector.
“We need to focus on value addition as 300 items of dates growing in the country,” he said.
Secretary TDAP, Inamullah Khan said on the occasion that Pakistan has exporting worth $ 106 million to the world.
“We are focussing to explore the new market to counter the other competitor in Agro trade and enhance the country’s trade.
