Chinese firms urged to set up agri machinery plants in Punjab

LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani on Saturday invited Chinese companies to establish agricultural machinery manufacturing plants in Punjab, saying the province offers vast investment opportunities in agriculture, livestock and allied sectors.

The minister was speaking during a meeting with a high-level Chinese delegation in Lahore, which was also attended by Punjab Agriculture Secretary Iftikhar Ali Sahoo, Punjab Livestock Secretary Ahmad Aziz Tarrar, Tourism Secretary Socrates Aman Rana and other officials.

Kirmani said Punjab produces 76 percent of the country’s wheat, 62 percent rice, 54 percent cotton, 98 percent maize and 71.3 percent sugarcane, making it the backbone of Pakistan’s agriculture sector.

He said the trend of manufacturing and use of agricultural machinery in Punjab was increasing continuously, adding that high-horsepower tractors, harvesters and other modern farm machinery were being imported from China.

The minister said Chinese investors could benefit from significant opportunities in seed development, fertilizer production, biotechnology and crop protection sectors.

Highlighting the livestock sector’s contribution, he said Punjab contributes around 60 percent of the country’s milk production and 65 percent of meat production, while the provincial government was taking special initiatives for value addition and exports of milk and meat products.

The Chinese delegation expressed keen interest in introducing innovation in Punjab’s agriculture sector and said China was already playing an important role in supplying modern agricultural machinery to the province. The delegation also showed interest in establishing manufacturing facilities for modern agricultural equipment in Punjab.

During the meeting, Agriculture Secretary Iftikhar Ali Sahoo briefed the delegation on ongoing initiatives aimed at improving the agriculture sector in the province.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026