Agri commodities: CAP team heads to Bangladesh to explore export opportunities

KARACHI: A 14-member delegation of Cereal Association of Pakistan (CAP) will depart for Bangladesh on Saturday on a seven-day visit aimed at exploring export opportunities in agricultural commodities such as rice, maize, and spices.

This is the first visit of its kind by maize traders following a notable improvement in trade relations between the two countries.

The delegation, supported by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), is being led by CAP’s founding chairman, Muzammil Rauf Chappal. During the visit, the delegation will travel to Dhaka and Chittagong, where they will meet with various trade bodies, government officials, and business leaders to assess market demand and potential partnerships.

According to Chappal, Bangladesh presents a promising market for Pakistani cereals and food products and recent political changes in Bangladesh have led to strengthened bilateral ties, with Pakistan successfully exporting 50,000 tons of rice earlier this year at a government-to-government level.

He said that Bangladesh has shown interest in importing additional food items from Pakistan, therefore the delegation is visiting to explore the export opportunities.

Chappal commended TDAP for facilitating the visit and emphasized the importance of such initiatives in increasing Pakistan’s export footprint. He also acknowledged the efforts of Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, whose personal involvement was instrumental in making the visit possible. Additionally, he praised the Pakistani Embassy in Bangladesh for providing full support to the delegation.

He informed that during the visit, the delegation is scheduled to meet officials from the Export Promotion Bureau of Bangladesh, the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the Pakistan-Bangladesh Business Forum, the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FBCCI), and the Feed Industry Association of Bangladesh.

Chappal expressed optimism that the visit would open new channels of trade and cooperation between Pakistan and Bangladesh, helping Pakistani exporters contribute more significantly to the national economy through increased foreign exchange earnings.

Other members of delegations are included Muhammad Arif Doni, Deputy Leader of the delegation, Shoaib Rauf convener of the delegation, Tanveer Ahmed Paracha Deputy Convener of the delegation, Abdul Rauf Shivani, Teka Mal, Hassan Doni, Sarfraz Ahmed Shiekh, Muhammad Zeeshan Attari, Muhammad Azeem Tahir, Ather Ali Raza, Muhammad Sufyan, Irfan Ahsan, and Mohsin Ali.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025