ISLAMABAD: Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI)Secretary General -Federal, Ahmad Jawad including businessmen Panel Sundaysaid Pakistan must increase the barely production for export purposeespecially for China, as they have a large consumption scale of barley,even the domestic supply was only around one million tons per year, whichleads to high import dependence.
In 2019, barley production for Pakistan was only 63 thousand tonnes. ThoughPakistan barley production fluctuated substantially in recent years, ittended to decrease through 1970 – 2019 period ending at 63 thousand tonnesin 2019,said a press release issued here.
Jawad said recently China had halted its import of barley from Australia’slargest barley exporter in the midst of the US-China trade war, as thelatter has shown its inclination towards the USA by sending its ships tothe South China Sea for joint naval exercises with the USA and India.
The suspension was brought into action on the basis of pest contaminationin the imported stuff.
It has not only put the credibility of Australia’s barley exports at riskbut also has shrunken the graph of barley export as China had beenimporting barley on a large scale, which was not less than $500 million perannum.
The tussle had already started when China imposed 80 percent tariffs onAustralia’s barley export.
The need of the hour is that Pakistan should capitalize from the presentcondition by mounting a production of barley on a massive scale to exportbarley to its all-weather friend, i.e., China, as it will not only helpPakistan to exploit China’s enormous market but also will help China toreduce transportation costs, which it had been consuming on cargo ships.
To grow more barley does not include any rocket science process andPakistani soil is also suitable for the production of barley. The only needis to make people realize how much they can gain after growing barley.
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It may also assist in doing away with unemployment.
According to a report which was published by Japan, the US-China trade warcould lead to countries like Chile, Vietnam, Malaysia, and other countriesto fill the vacuum, but what about Pakistan? It may prove itself a darkhouse of this race.
Undoubtedly, India is a massive market. Had there been no stand-off inLaddakh region, India would have massively capitalized on China’s farewellto Australia’s barley exports. It will be a disgraceful and extreme levelof inefficiency if Pakistan still does not learn to exploit the US-Chinatrade war.
Pakistan has been hapless in exploiting its own resources owing to a lackof proper technique, as well as of good governance. Without any doubt,Pakistan is a country also abundant in salt. It contains one of the world’slargest salt mines. Himalayan Pink salt, which has become national pridefor Pakistan, is sold at very cheap rates to countries like India.
Interestingly, the introduction of technology in the agriculture sector hasthe part of the agenda list of the second phase of the China-PakistanEconomic Corridor (CPEC), which can be manipulated to improve barleyproduction in Pakistan. Technological advancement has become so vital thatwe can’t escape this very fact that Third World countries are leading theworld on the basis of this sole factor.
Jawad also said China is a massive market. Once Pakistan will startexploring it, it alone is sufficient to absorb the exports of Pakistan andto reduce the prevailing deficit in the Pak-China trade. Both countriesmust take CPEC also for trading purposes.
