Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Dith Tina requested the EU consider financing key development in the Kingdom’s agriculture sector. He made the request during a February 3 meeting with EU representatives at ministry headquarters.

He said that the request was intended to increase productivity, which a focus on quality and price, rather than quantity.

In addition, the ministry needs to ensure that farmers see the value of reducing the use of chemicals on agricultural products.

According to the ministry, the meeting aimed to exchange views on the main priorities outlined by the ministry for the EU's future cooperation in the agricultural sector.

The EU recently consulted with the various departments of the ministry to determine the main tasks that will be implemented in the next five years. The goal is to boost the export of high value products to international markets, including the EU and ASEAN.

In an earlier meeting with Pakistani ambassador Zaheeruddin Babar Thaheem, Tina asked that Pakistan examine the possibility of sending agricultural specialists to develop the Kingdom’s human resource capacity

Tina and the ambassador agreed on the need for a clear framework for the implementation of cooperation between the two nations.

The two sides also discussed the possibility of importing high-quality, competitively priced agricultural fertilisers from Pakistan. Although there are many ways in which this could be done, they agreed that the most effective way would be through joint investment by companies or individuals in both countries.