pakistan bureaucratic hurdles in CPEC, china wants to expands in agriculture

Defence affairs 

China, Pakistan's neighbour and longstanding economic partner, is pushing for an agricultural revolution in Pakistan, particularly in Punjab, under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). However, despite structured plans and repeated diplomatic backing, implementation remains slow due to bureaucratic hurdles in Pakistan's agriculture sector.

While Beijing is eager to help modernise Pakistan's farming practices, delays from local departments and ministries continue to hinder progress. Chinese officials have long viewed Pakistan, and Punjab in particular, as a key partner in building sustainable agricultural value chains to meet China's rising food demands. In recent years, successive Chinese ambassadors to Pakistan have called agricultural cooperation a win-win opportunity. Yet, despite the diplomatic goodwill and planning, ground-level execution in Pakistan has failed to keep pace.

A recent visit by a delegation of Chinese agri-tech firms to Agriculture House in Lahore was the latest effort to energise bilateral cooperation. The delegation, led by senior company executives, met with Punjab's Minister for Agriculture and Livestock, Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani, and Secretary Agriculture, Iftikhar Ali Sahoo.

Kirmani said Punjab must now embrace technology-led farming. "We believe the time is right for Punjab to step forward and modernise agriculture," he said. "Our government has introduced leasing schemes and subsidies to make modern equipment accessible to farmers. We are also working to expand partnerships that will help bring investment and innovation to the province." He said Punjab's central role in Pakistan's food supply chain makes it critical to adopt solutions that increase yields and reduce labour-intensive practices.

Sahoo agreed and added that an enabling environment is being developed for farmers. "We have rolled out interest-free loans through the Bank of Punjab for farm machinery. We're also easing access to modern tools that boost productivity." Yet, the wider transition to modern farming techniques in Punjab has seen limited traction. Dr Khurram Safdar, an agro-economist from Faisalabad, said institutional flaws are to blame. "We're offering technology but ignoring farmer education, extension services, and infrastructure. Without these, adoption stalls," he said.