ISLAMABAD         -        Though the Pak-China agricultural cooperation is still in the initial stage, both the countries have wide potential to share technology, product processing, trade and infrastructure construction, says latest study done by Zhang Wenli and Zhai Xueling from Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China.

Agriculture is the largest sector of Pakistan’s economy in terms of labour participation, said the study carried by Gwadar Pro on Monday.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has a trade surplus with China in agricultural products. The volume of bilateral trade in this area has been growing strongly in recent years.

From $181 million in the year of 2010 to $476 million in 2019, China’s imports of agricultural products from Pakistan had increased by 163.1%, with an average annual growth rate of 11.3%.

However, facing the challenges due to climate change, pest attacks and water shortage, Pakistan’s agriculture calls for increased productivity.

According to the study, the natural resource endowments between Pakistan and China are mutually complementary, which lays a solid basis for expanding cooperation as well as driving Pakistan’s agricultural progress through adopting advanced technologies in the future.

China has strengths in agricultural science and technology, mechanization and water conservancy engineering.

Pakistan is rich in many agricultural production essentials like land and manpower. The per capita cultivated land area in Pakistan is twice that of China. Furthermore, Pakistan has a larger percentage of people in younger age groups than China.

Moreover, Pakistan’s increasingly improved investment environment, regulations and laws are also appreciated.