Pakistan sends 300 agricultural graduates to China under PM's training initiative
Listen to article
The first group of 300 agricultural graduates will depart for China on April 16 as part of a government-funded international training programme aimed at modernising Pakistan's agriculture sector, the Ministry of National Food Security and Research said in a statement on Monday.
The initiative, titled the Prime Minister's Initiative for Capacity Building of 1,000 Agricultural Graduates in China, seeks to equip young professionals with cutting-edge skills in farm technology, biotechnology, and sustainable agriculture practices.
'Through collaboration with leading Chinese universities and research institutes, the programme offers specialised training in nine high-priority areas including farm mechanisation, biotechnology, genomics, precision agriculture, artificial intelligence, and high-efficiency irrigation systems,' the ministry stated.
PM Shehbaz Sharif and Federal Minister for National Food Security Rana Tanveer Hussain are scheduled to attend a send-off ceremony on April 15 for the departing batch.
The training programme, which will span between three to six months, is fully funded by the Pakistani government. Graduates were selected through a merit-based competitive process, with placements aligned to their academic specialisations.
According to the ministry, participants are expected to return as 'master trainers' who will play a pivotal role in transferring knowledge and modern techniques to local farming communities, universities, and research institutions.
The government had earlier announced plans to send a total of 1,000 agricultural graduates to China in 2025 under this capacity-building effort. Officials say the initiative reflects Islamabad's commitment to transforming agriculture into a high-tech and sustainable sector that can meet food security challenges and boost economic growth.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
an hour ago
- Express Tribune
$3.7 billion loan deals finalised with China
Listen to article Pakistan and China have signed $3.7 billion equivalent commercial loan deals this week, pulling the foreign exchange reserves back to the double-digits from the critically low level of $8.9 billion in last week. The deals would also help meet a commitment with the International Monetary Fund to close the fiscal year 2024-25 with $14 billion gross foreign exchange reserves. Official sources told The Express Tribune that the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) and the Bank of China have signed a total $1.6 billion deals on Friday. The money will be disbursed by Monday, which is the last day of the current fiscal year. At one stage it appeared that China may not sign the $1.6 billion deals this week, which resulted in hectic backdoor economic diplomacy. The sources said that Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar played a critical role in finalising the deals after he was approached by the finance ministry. Dar first started pursuing the Chinese authorities on May 19 that eventually led to the signing and disbursement of $2.1 billion commercial loan by a syndicate of three Chinese commercial banks this week. A $2.1 billion or 15 billion RMB syndicate financing loan by three Chinese commercial banks matured a few days ago, which pulled the reserves down to $8.9 billion, said the sources. Unlike rollovers of Chinese cash deposits of $4 billion, the Chinese commercial loans have to be first repaid before these are refinanced on new terms and conditions. China has given this $2.1 billion money in RMB currency, which is also reflected in the foreign exchange reserves of the central bank. As a result, the foreign exchange reserves jumped to $12.4 billion on Friday, said the sources. The China Development Bank has given 9 billion RMB, Bank of China 3 billion RMB and ICBC 3 billion RMB. The loan is being extended for a period of three years, said the government sources. There were still $1.6 billion pending amounts, which were slipping to next fiscal year. Ishaq Dar on Friday received confirmation from the Chinese authorities that the remaining two commercial loans have also been finalized and the money will be disbursed very soon, the sources added. In total, Pakistan and China have finalized $3.7 billion worth of commercial loans deals in the past few days. The Friday deal included a $1.3 billion loan of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC). The ICBC had given the loan two years ago at floating interest rates, which translated to around 7.5%. The Bank of China's $300 million loan was also finalized and will be disbursed in Chinese currency. The move to delink loans from the US dollar is not Pakistan specific rather it is part of the overall Chinese policy to decouple its economy from the US currency. Pakistan remains dependent on Beijing for remaining afloat, the friendly nation that is constantly rolling over the $4 billion cash deposits, $5.4 billion worth commercial loans and $4.3 billion trade financing facility. The ADB-backed $1 billion foreign non-Chinese commercial loan was also disbursed last week. During the week ended on 20th June, the SBP reserves decreased by $2.7 billion to $9.1 billion due to external debt repayments, mainly repayment of commercial borrowing, according to a statement that the central bank issued on Friday. During the current week, SBP has received commercial loans equivalent to $3.1 billion and multilateral loans of over $500 million, it added. The foreign exchange reserves slipping to below $9 billion mark underscores the vulnerability of the fragile external sector stability. Heavy dependency on foreign borrowings should also be a matter of concern for the government. The rupee-dollar parity has again started coming under pressure after the central bank went on a heavy buying spree, said the sources. There was also a shortage of foreign currency in the market, which was leading to depreciation of the rupee and compelling commercial banks not to open letter of credits for the imports. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has said that the foreign exchange reserves would close over $14 billion by the end of this fiscal year. Islamabad has also sought the rescheduling of the government's concessional loans, preferential buyer credit, and the buyer's credit from the Export-Import (Exim) Bank of China. China has not agreed to reschedule the buyer's credit loans, they added. China has shown willingness to reschedule $1.8 billion worth of government concessional loans and the preferential buyer credit by next month. These loans have been taken for various projects and are over and above the commercial financing that Chinese banks have given to Pakistan.
Express Tribune
2 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Pakistani official lauds AIIB model
Listen to article A top Pakistani economic official has praised the Beijing-headquartered Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) as a new model of multilateralism, citing its critical support following the country's 2022 floods, and advocated for a greater voice, and even veto power for developing nations at global financial institutions. Speaking at a roundtable for the AIIB's 10th anniversary held in Beijing, Kazim Niaz, Pakistan's Secretary at the Ministry of Economic Affairs, positioned Pakistan as a key partner of the bank and a strong advocate for its governance model, which he said gives emerging economies more influence. "We have always viewed AIIB as a development partner of strategic importance and great potential," Niaz said. "Its inclusive governance framework and consensus-oriented decision-making approach are core characteristics that we highly appreciate." As a founding member, Pakistan has worked with AIIB on projects ranging from clean energy and urban metro systems to digital infrastructure, Niaz noted. He praised the bank's "Lean, Clean, and Green" identity and its "fast and flexible" financing channels, which are critical for a country facing significant infrastructure deficits. Niaz singled out the bank's performance following Pakistan's historic 2022 floods for special mention, highlighting its collaboration with the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. "The innovative support provided by AIIB in its financing instruments had a huge positive impact on our post-flood reconstruction work," he said. Niaz said Pakistan seeks to deepen its partnership with AIIB in future to build smart infrastructure to withstand severe climate shocks like heatwaves, floods, and water stress.
Express Tribune
2 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Budgets pass, hopes fade among ordinary citizens
Federal and provincial budgets for fiscal year 2025-26 have been passed by assemblies, each one claiming to be providing a huge relief to an ordinary Pakistani citizen or household, but the ground reality suggests otherwise. A large number of ordinary citizens have expressed scepticism about the immediate effect on their strained household budgets. In the backdrop of a persistently high inflation, officially recorded at 3.5% in May 2025, and a total budget outlay of Rs17.5 trillion, the government's balancing act between fiscal consolidation and public relief measures has left many feeling underwhelmed. For salaried workers like Tariq Sikandar, earning Rs120,000 per month, the budget offers a rare positive. "My tax burden will drop by nearly Rs2,500 per month," he said, while referring to the government's decision to increase the income tax exemption threshold to Rs600,000 annually and lower tax rates for middle-income brackets. "It's a small relief, but in this economy, every rupee counts," he added. This adjustment, part of broader efforts to formalise the tax net, benefits approximately 67 million salaried individuals. However, in Pakistan, a majority of the workforce is earning less than Rs50,000, with no regular yearly increments, especially in the private sector. For female household members like Fatima Bibi, managing a family of five, the budget fails to address her primary concern, ie, soaring kitchen expenses. "Flour, sugar and cooking oil are still painfully expensive," she said, adding "the government's claims of providing relief sound good, but the reality does not match their claims, even milk and yogurt prices since the announcement of budget have increased, how can they control this mess." While the government has allocated Rs1.186 trillion for subsidies in FY26, a large chunk of that goes to the power sector, with no amount earmarked for utility stores. For over 70% of population, as of today, relief means a substantial reduction in prices of food basket, petrol and electricity. Till such relief is provided, which is highly impossible considering the global situation and the country's deficits, the government's moves may not be considered people-centric. On the other side, industrial workers, too, voice apprehension. Aslam Hussain, employed at a Faisalabad textile factory, questions the budget's job creation promises. "They talk of 5% export growth target and industrial support, but our factory hasn't raised wages for two years," he stated. The billions of rupees allocated for the export industry support package focus on technology upgrades, which workers like Hussain fear may not translate into higher incomes. "Without wage increases, how can we match the growing inflation, how will our condition get better, there should be a mechanism to control the private sector too, when it comes to matching wages," he emphasised. Transporters, squeezed by energy costs, say imposing an additional levy means cutting down the already shrinking margins. Haider Raza, who operates a mini-truck between Peshawar and Rawalpindi, points to the hike in petroleum levy, expected to surpass Rs100 per litre. "Diesel prices will rise again and my profit margin vanishes, every time this happens. The government defends the levy as necessary to meet its tax collection target, but for small transporters, it's a direct hit to livelihoods," Raza added. Economists also acknowledge the budget's tightrope walk. Dr Ayesha Ali, an economist, said that the 4.2% GDP growth target and the reduced budget deficit at 3.9% show the commitment to stability. "But heavy reliance on indirect taxes, like the 18% standard sales tax, hits low-income households the hardest." She notes that while the Rs1 trillion development budget is aimed at long-term growth, immediate relief measures like the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) stipend, adjusted for inflation, remain insufficient for the poorest 20% of families. Ayesha added that for an average Pakistani, the FY26 budget feels like a blend of modest gains and missed opportunities. "Tax relief for salaried class is a tangible win, yet it's overshadowed by the reality that indirect taxes and inflation will continue to dominate daily expenditures. Structural reforms take time, but households need a respite now. Without sharper targeting of subsidies and price controls, inequality pressures will not ease. In markets, factories and homes, the consensus is clear; the budget offers breathing space for some, but for most, the struggle persists beneath the weight of bigger economic currents."
