LAHORE: Chinese cooperation has been sought in smart farming and agriculture engineering to develop Punjab’s agriculture sector.

The need for the cooperation was stressed during a consultation which was also joined by the representatives of leading Chinese companies, including Weifang Shengchuan, JOTEC, Weichai Lovol, PAISET, and SAIC, here on Thursday.

The Chinese participants gave detailed briefings on various categories of machinery, including small and mid-sized equipment like power tillers, mini harvesters, and rotary cultivators, as well as large-scale machines like combined harvesters, multifunctional tractors, and eco-friendly advanced technologies. One representative introduced smart agricultural technologies, including IoT-connected machinery and autonomous tractors.

Director General Strategic Projects retired Maj-Gen Shahid Nazir stated that under the Green Pakistan Initiative, the availability of modern harvesters, drones, and other advanced agricultural tools is a top priority of the government.

Agriculture Minister Ashiq Kirmani stated that China is a global leader in agricultural technology, and Punjab is keen to benefit from China’s experience in the sector. He emphasized Punjab’s status as the food basket of Pakistan and expressed strong interest in adopting Chinese support for modern farming techniques and technologies.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2025