Kazakhstan offers wheat to Pakistan

The Express Tribune reported that Pakistan and Kazakhstan have pledged to speed up work on earlier trade and investment accords, according to a Ministry of National Food Security and Research statement issued Thursday. The commitment followed talks in Islamabad between Rana Tanveer Hussain, the federal minister, and Kazakh envoy Yerzhan Kistafin. Their discussion covered farm commerce, food supply, transport links, farm machinery and the role of private companies.

Hussain argued that farming holds large potential that has not yet been tapped for deepening ties, and he urged projects that can be commercially sustainable and produce results. Kazakhstan signalled interest in supplying wheat to Pakistan, and Pakistan said it would assess that offer on the basis of price, quality and availability. Both sides also agreed that the Pakistan-Kazakhstan Joint Working Group on Agriculture will next meet in Kazakhstan, where it will assess advances and look for fresh areas of collaboration.

Connectivity was flagged as central, with proposed rail and regional road links between Central Asia and Pakistan considered as ways to lower freight charges and reach new buyers. Pakistan also pitched exports of onions, potatoes, bananas, dates, guava and mangoes, seeking wider access to Kazakh and Central Asian markets. Tractors and machinery for smaller farms were highlighted as another prospect, and the minister called for tighter coordination among farm institutions, research bodies and businesses.