TDAP seminar highlights sorghum export opportunity to China

SAHIWAL: The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) hosted a seminar titled “Seizing Global Market Opportunities: Revitalizing Pakistan’s Sorghum Exports to China” at the Maize and Millet Research Institute, Sahiwal.

The event united agricultural scientists, trade experts, farmers, and policymakers to strategize the revival of sorghum cultivation, positioning Pakistan to capture a share of China’s $2.6 billion sorghum import market, which demands over 9 million tons annually for livestock feed, baijiu production, and biofuels.

Moderated by Hina Tahir, Deputy Director (AFD), TDAP, the seminar addressed Pakistan’s opportunity to fill the void left by an 81.8% decline in US sorghum exports to China in January 2025, driven by trade tensions.

Athar Hussain Khokhar, Director General (AFD), TDAP, underscored sorghum’s potential as a $500 million export commodity within a decade. “Pakistan’s sorghum production has plummeted by 89% since 1994, from 438,200 hectares to 46,697 hectares in 2023, yielding just 38,645 tons. Revitalizing cultivation in Punjab’s marginal lands like Thal and Cholistan can transform this drought-resistant crop into an economic powerhouse,” he stated.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025