Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture, Mir Israrullah Zehri, has called upon Pakistan and Iran to cooperate in agriculture sector to benefit from each other potential to ensure 'Food Security' in the region. He said this in a meeting with Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Mashaullah Shakri who called on him here on Monday.
The Minister said that Food Security could only be ensured with mutual co-operation and enhanced market accesses. Zehri added that Pakistan can greatly benefit from research in the field of dry land farming for the dry areas of Balochistan from Dry Land Agriculture Research Institute, Iran. "Date Palm and Tropical Fruit Research Institute, Iran could also be greatly beneficial for us to effectively improve our dates production," added the minister.
Zehri said that Pakistan enjoys exceptionally friendly relationship with Iran and increased co-operation in the agriculture sector would not only further enhance the relationship, but also substantially benefit both the countries. "We ask our Iranian brothers to give enhanced market access for our cotton products, rice, fruits, vegetables and especially our Kinnow. Pakistan is willing to help Iran in the area of plants and animals quarantine measures to compete on equal footing in WTO regime. We offer to export Pakistani manufactured agricultural machinery and implements to Iran," the minister said.
Mashaullah Shakri said that Pakistan and Iran are brotherly countries and have good relationship, but the true potential has not yet been efficiently utilised. He asked the federal minister to make it convenient to attend the second D-8 Agriculture Minister's Meeting on Food Security to be held on May 18, 2011 in Tehran.
The first D-8 Ministers' meeting on Food Security was held on February 25to 27, 2009 at Kulala Lumpur that identified fertilisers, animal feed and quality seeds to be priority areas for mutual co-operation. The meeting was also attended by Additional Secretary Minfa, Hizar Hayat Khan, Joint Secretary International Co-ordination Yasmeen Masood and other senior officials of the ministry.
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