Agriculture, research, biosecurity: Pakistan, Australia agree to boost cooperation

Pakistan and Australia have agreed to deepen cooperation across agriculture, research, biosecurity, water management and farm trade, according to Business Recorder. The pledge followed talks in Islamabad between Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain and Dr. Suzie Newman of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, with the Australian High Commissioner also present.

Both sides explored joint work on climate and weather-based pest forecasting, GIS-based surveillance and early-warning systems, along with locust preparedness and environmentally sustainable pest control. The two sides agreed to define fresh research projects matching Pakistan's farm and food-security needs, focusing on training, researcher exchanges and practical tools for growers. The minister called for research that can be turned into scalable, farmer-focused results in climate-resilient farming, crop improvement, horticulture and value chains.

Biosecurity and plant health were highlighted as priority areas, with proposals covering pest identification, molecular diagnostics, DNA bar-coding and digital plant-health systems. The meeting also reviewed an ACIAR-funded water project in the Southern Indus Basin, where the minister urged greater participation from Pakistani research institutions. Australia praised Pakistan's continued involvement in technical exchanges and institutional cooperation.