Govt, LCCI agree on coordinated approach to boost agricultural exports

November 03, 2026 (MLN): The government and the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) have agreed on the need for a coordinated approach to promote agricultural exports, combining government facilitation, private-sector expertise, agricultural research, internationally recognised testing and certification, value addition and targeted market development.

The chamber proposed setting up an Agriculture Committee to identify exportable commodities, address business and regulatory bottlenecks, encourage private investment and develop commodity-specific strategies.

Federal Minister for National Food Security & Research Rana Tanveer Hussain held a meeting with the LCCI President to discuss closer cooperation between the ministry and the private sector, said a press release issued.

The talks covered raising agricultural exports, promoting investment, improving value addition and removing regulatory and technical barriers to international market access.

The minister said the prime minister has placed strong emphasis on raising exports, and stressed the need for coordinated efforts between government institutions and the business community.

The LCCI President expressed willingness to work closely with the ministry and said the proposed committee would allow structured engagement on export-oriented commodities, particularly rice and livestock.

The chamber also showed interest in supporting investment in agricultural research and development.

The minister pointed to considerable export potential in rice, potatoes and maize, while sesame, castor bean oil and dates were also identified as products with room to grow.

The meeting stressed identifying available agricultural surpluses and linking them with suitable international markets. China, Saudi Arabia and Iran were named as important markets needing focused engagement and market-specific strategies. Participants said exporters should get effective facilitation to turn production surpluses into actual exports.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) was discussed as a major constraint on meat exports and market access.

The minister stressed the importance of disease-free zoning, compartmentalisation, vaccination, animal identification and traceability systems, and said meeting international disease-control and certification standards requires close coordination between federal and provincial governments.

The meeting noted that inadequate FMD certification and traceability arrangements continue to restrict access to certain international meat markets.

The minister said the ministry is working to strengthen testing and certification capacity at the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) in line with international and European standards.

Better laboratory facilities and credible certification, he said, are essential for products such as rice and meat to meet importing countries’ technical and quality requirements.

Participants agreed that internationally recognised testing and certification will play a critical role in expanding exports.

The meeting also reviewed the establishment of the National Seed Development and Regulatory Authority (NSDRA) and ongoing initiatives to improve seed varieties, strengthen seed quality and enhance regulatory processes.

The minister stressed the need for an export-oriented regulatory framework, saying certification and registration requirements should facilitate rather than unnecessarily restrict exports of agricultural inputs, including seeds and pesticides.

Greater investment in agricultural research and development was identified as another priority.

The meeting discussed continued collaboration between the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) to strengthen research cooperation and promote modern agricultural technologies.

The revival of the cotton sector was also highlighted, particularly through access to improved seed varieties, international genetics and hybrid technologies to raise productivity.

The minister reaffirmed that fertiliser availability has been ensured and that the ministry is making continued efforts to maintain price stability and uninterrupted supply to farmers.

He also stressed the need to move beyond exporting raw agricultural commodities by promoting processing, packaging and value addition.

Greater participation of small and medium-sized and micro-enterprises was considered essential for creating jobs, diversifying exports and capturing more economic value from agricultural production.

Dates and olive products were discussed as sectors with considerable potential for value addition and wider market opportunities.

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