Government has planned to expand suppliers base of the traceable products from the existing level of 20 to 250 in 2012 for which an incentive package of Rs2.024 billion has been allocated to introduce traceability in agricultural and livestock products. Projecting of Pakistan with 20 fully traceable agricultural and livestock products at Germany is historic achievement of Punjab government.
This was stated by Minister for Agriculture, Punjab Malik Ahmed Ali Aulakh here at Agriculture House, Lahore. He was addressing a post IGW briefing about success stories, the lessons learnt and the way forward for prospects of exports of Agriculture and Livestock products. Secretary Agriculture Punjab, Mr Muhammad Mushtaq Ahmed, CEO Star Farm, Asia, Mr Hans Peter, high officials of Agriculture department, large number of exhibitors, farmers and representatives of print and electronic media were also present.
Talking to media men, Ahmed Ali Aulakh said that and participation of Punjab in International Green Week (IGW) at Germany has not only helped in improving soft image of Pakistan but has introduced it as an emerging country for supply of traceable products for the world to meet food supply demand of ever increasing global population. He said that Punjab government has diverted substantial resources to develop science-based, vibrant and internationally linked agriculture sector that can not only meet the food security challenges but also compete in domestic as well as in international markets.
Punjab government has entered into certification regime to produce fully traceable agricultural and livestock products to reach high end markets of the developed world and to enhance export up to $2billion annually, he added. He said that Pakistan has the potential to become one of the largest economies of the world after Germany. He further apprised that Punjab government has allocated Rs2.024 billion for a mega project to improve supply chain of selected agricultural and livestock products for improving quality and introducing traceability as per international market standards and requirements.
Secretary Agriculture Punjab, Mr Muhammad Mushtaq Ahmed, said that participation of Punjab in International Green Week (IGW), at Berlin Germany proved a milestone to showcase traceable agricultural and livestock products from Punjab and to project Pakistan. He further said that display of traceable agricultural and livestock products at IGW has opened the doors of high end markets of the world leading towards generation of tremendous business opportunities for Pakistan. He told that Punjab government provided space to the private sector/ exhibitors to showcase their products at the Punjab’s pavilion where thousands of visitors tasted and witnessed traceable products from Punjab.
He told that rice dishes with traceable vegetables were also offered to the hundreds of the stall visitors every day. He further told that during the IGW, several dignitaries like Mrs Kopp, member German parliament, CEO Metro, DG Global Gap, and Directors of IFS and Bayer crop sciences also visited stall of Pakistan. All the visitors appreciated efforts of Pakistan to produce traceable products which will help enhance trade with the EU countries. Responding to a question he said that markets like Metro, having over 2,000 stores and Carrefour having about 15,000 stores in EU countries showed special interest in Pakistani products.
Metro has even offered free office space for the association of traceable suppliers. Responding to another question, Secretary Agriculture said that two sales teams were constitute for marketing of traceable products from Pakistan, which no other country has in the world as of today. Each sales team comprised of a member from government, one member from Star Farm and three to four members from the exhibitors. One team under the leadership of Mr Mohammad Ashraf, Commercial Councilor of Pakistan in Amsterdam visited several markets in Holland. The second team under the leader ship of Mr Hamed Yaqoob Sheikh, Secretary L&DD Department visited France and Spain. Both the teams held very useful talks with high end markets who agreed to buy Pakistani products.
Few of the exhibitors were able to struck deals on spot. He told that both the sales teams has developed contacts with the markets in these countries and obtained samples of traceable products for evaluation before procuring these from Pakistani suppliers.
