ISLAMABAD: In a major step toward strengthening agricultural ties, China and Pakistan have agreed to ramp up their bio-healthy agriculture research collaboration.
A delegation led by Professor Zhang Lixin, Chairman of the Silk Road Bio-Healthy Agriculture Industry Alliance, visited the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) and the Ayub Agricultural Research Institute (AARI), finalizing plans to establish a joint research lab and a China-Pakistan Bio-Healthy Agriculture Science and Technology Demonstration Park.
Professor Zhang emphasized the importance of sharing China’s advanced agricultural technologies with Pakistan to address food security challenges and improve the lives of local farmers. “Our goal is to bring innovation in agriculture to tackle mutual challenges,” he added.
Pakistan’s agricultural experts, including UAF’s Professor Rao Zahid Abbas, welcomed the collaboration, noting that the demonstration park and laboratory would play a pivotal role in modernizing agriculture in Pakistan and contributing to the country’s food security. Dr. Saddam Hussain from UAF added that the initiative would pave the way for applied research in bio-health and sustainable agriculture.
In addition to the research collaboration, Pakistan’s sesame seed exports to China have surged by 300% in the first half of 2025, with the country now becoming the fourth-largest sesame supplier to China. This growth, according to Professor Zhang, is attributed to the improved market access and the growing demand for Pakistani agricultural products in China. Pakistani farmers are increasingly cultivating sesame, capitalizing on the expanding sector.
The partnership between China and Pakistan also includes the construction of a bio-healthy sesame demonstration farm at the China-Pakistan Bio-Healthy Agriculture Overseas Technology Demonstration Park in Sahiwal, Punjab.
The farm aims to enhance sesame production by introducing high-quality Chinese sesame varieties and providing local farmers with the necessary tools and expertise to improve cultivation.
