Pakistan-China Cooperation in Agriculture and Food Security: Agri-Tech, Productivity and Exports

For more than seven decades, Pakistan and China have built one of Asia’s most enduring partnerships. The relationship is often described as “higher than the mountains, deeper than the oceans, sweeter than honey and stronger than steel.” Pakistan was among the early countries to recognise the People’s Republic of China, and since the establishment of diplomatic relations in the 1950s, bilateral ties have been built around mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and cooperation.

Over the decades, this partnership has expanded from diplomacy and defence to roads, ports, energy and trade. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has further strengthened economic cooperation. However, as CPEC moves into its second phase, the focus is increasingly shifting from infrastructure towards agriculture, information technology, industry, mining and green energy.

Among these areas, agriculture could become one of the most important new frontiers of Pakistan-China cooperation.

Pakistan’s agriculture sector contributes around 23.4 percent to GDP and employs about 37 percent of the country’s labour force. Yet low productivity, inefficient water use and high post-harvest losses remain major challenges. China, meanwhile, has developed advanced agricultural technologies while also becoming one of the world’s largest food producers and importers.

This creates a natural area of cooperation: Chinese technology + Pakistani agricultural potential + access to joint markets = greater food security and export growth.

Technology Transfer to the Farm: The new phase of agricultural cooperation is no longer limited to tractors and machinery. It increasingly involves data, improved seeds, water management, cold chains and modern farming techniques.

Chinese companies and research institutions are working with Pakistani counterparts on smart farming, including drones for crop spraying, soil sensors and satellite-based crop monitoring. Such technologies can help farmers identify pests and diseases earlier while reducing unnecessary pesticide use.

Seed research is another promising area. Pakistani institutions, including PARC, have collaborated with Chinese agricultural research organisations on technologies and crop varieties suited to local conditions, including heat-tolerant wheat, hybrid maize and drought-resistant rice.

Water efficiency is equally critical. Drip irrigation and laser land-levelling technologies can reduce water wastage and improve yields, particularly in water-stressed agricultural areas.

Livestock and dairy farming also offer considerable potential. Modern dairy farms using automated milking, improved feed management and better animal care can raise milk production per animal and improve the efficiency of the dairy sector.

Post-harvest losses are another major concern. Investment in solar-powered cold storage, modern grading facilities and efficient supply chains could significantly reduce the loss of fruits and vegetables between farms and markets.

Agro-Industrial Zones and Value Addition: Agriculture cannot reach its full export potential by selling only raw commodities. Processing and value addition are essential.

Under CPEC and related industrial initiatives, food-processing facilities can create opportunities for tomato paste, dairy products, canned fruits, juices, snacks and ready-to-eat foods. The objective should be simple: process in Pakistan and export to China and other regional markets.

Such investment could generate employment while allowing Pakistan to earn more from the same agricultural output.

Expanding Agricultural Trade: Agricultural exports to China include rice, seafood, fruits, vegetables, meat, sesame and spices. Rice remains particularly important, while demand for seafood, citrus, cherries, mangoes and other Pakistani agricultural products has created additional opportunities.

Halal meat exports also have potential, although certification, quality standards and market-access requirements need continued attention.

The next step should be to move beyond raw commodities towards higher-value products such as fruit juices, canned foods, dairy products, processed meat and ready-to-eat meals.

Pakistan also imports a range of agricultural machinery and inputs from China, including tractors, harvesters, irrigation equipment, greenhouse technology, drones, fertilisers, pesticides, agricultural chemicals and hybrid seeds.

This trade demonstrates both the opportunity and the challenge. Pakistan needs access to Chinese technology, but it must simultaneously develop domestic manufacturing and research capacity so that technology transfer eventually strengthens local production.

Challenges Ahead

Three issues deserve particular attention.

First, farmer adoption. Technology is useful only when farmers understand how to use it. Farmer field schools, district-level training and cooperation between Chinese and Pakistani agricultural experts can help bridge this gap.

Second, climate resilience. Pakistan faces increasingly serious challenges from heatwaves, floods and water shortages. Future agricultural projects should therefore prioritise heat-tolerant crops, drought-resistant varieties, efficient irrigation and solar-powered farming solutions.

Third, domestic food security. Export growth must not come at the expense of food availability at home. Pakistan should expand exports of surplus commodities while increasing domestic production of essential crops such as wheat, pulses and edible oil.

Sowing for 2030: The coming years could determine whether Pakistan-China agricultural cooperation becomes another series of projects or develops into a genuine engine of productivity, employment and exports.

Pakistan’s objective should be to increase agricultural exports to China, expand water-saving technologies, improve yields and reduce dependence on imported edible oil and other food commodities.

For Pakistan, successful cooperation could mean more jobs, foreign exchange, modern farming practices and stronger food security. For China, it could provide a reliable and geographically close source of agricultural products.

The partnership is therefore evolving from roads and infrastructure towards farms, technology and food security.

As one farmer testing a Chinese agricultural drone in Okara reportedly put it: “Pehley sarak bani, ab fasal badle gi” – first came the road, now the crop will change.

That may ultimately be the most important test of Pakistan-China agricultural cooperation: whether infrastructure and investment can translate into higher productivity, stronger exports and tangible improvements for farmers.

The China-Pakistan agriculture partnership has the potential to shift the relationship from “aid and projects” to “joint growth.”