KARACHI: The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) organised a seminar on the export potential of agricultural products on Monday, bringing together industry experts, government officials and agribusiness stakeholders to explore strategies for boosting agro exports.
The event featured speakers from TDAP, the Sindh Agriculture Extension Department, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the Sindh Enterprises Development Fund (SEDF), SGS Pakistan, the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture, and private-sector export professionals. Discussions centred on improving product quality, expanding market access, and leveraging government support to strengthen Pakistan’s agricultural export sector.
Deputy Director of TDAP Sukkur Fida Hussain Mahesar outlined the authority’s role in facilitating international trade through product development, marketing, and participation in global exhibitions.
Director of Agriculture Extension Sukkur Ghulam Mustafa Nangraj highlighted the export potential of horticultural products such as mangoes, lemons, guavas, mandarins, bananas and dates. He stressed the need for government intervention to establish cold storage facilities, processing plants and value-added production units.
Despite Pakistan’s strong agricultural output, Nangraj noted that gaps in research and development (R&D), seed selection, and adherence to global Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) have hindered the sector’s competitiveness. He called for enhanced post-harvest treatment processes to improve product quality for foreign markets.
The SBP representative presented government-backed credit schemes aimed at supporting agribusinesses, assuring participants of the central bank’s commitment to facilitating access to incentivised loans. Meanwhile, SEDF representatives detailed funding initiatives designed to cover interest costs on bank loans for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the agro sector.
SGS Pakistan provided insights into the standardisation, testing, packaging, and certification requirements for agro-product exports. Muhammad Riaz, an export business development professional from Sargodha, shared a comprehensive roadmap for integrating Pakistan’s agricultural products into global
supply chains.
President of the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture Naushahro Feroze Ashfaque Ahmed Taggar expressed gratitude to TDAP for organising the seminar, emphasising the need for continued collaboration to unlock the region’s export potential.
