Islamabad:Pakistan is prepared to boost its agricultural exports to Saudi Arabia, focusing on products such as Basmati rice, halal meat, livestock products, and green fodder, according to Minister for National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain.
According to Radio Pakistan, the minister made these remarks during a meeting with the Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan, Dr. Rajeh Tami Al-Bugamy, in Islamabad. The meeting underscored the commitment of both nations to strengthen their economic and agricultural cooperation, building on their strong political ties.
The discussions included a review of the recent visit by the Saudi Minister of Agriculture and plans for a joint technical team to further cooperation in key areas. Special attention was given to increasing Pakistan's market share in Saudi Arabia's rice market, with the meeting noting that 17 out of 31 Pakistani slaughterhouses had passed Saudi technical assessments.
Both countries are focusing on nine priority areas for cooperation, including rice, meat and livestock, green fodder, and dry camel milk. The Saudi Ambassador conveyed Saudi Arabia's interest in procuring more Pakistani agricultural products, contingent on meeting international standards for quality, pricing, quantity, and packaging.
The two sides agreed to leverage the newly established technical mechanism to address trade and regulatory challenges, aiming to expedite progress in the identified areas of cooperation.