Sino-Pak agricultural innovations, handicrafts captivate fair attendees, showcase rising potential for collaboration

YANGLING, CHINA:

As this year’s honoured guest country, Pakistan’s pavilion has captivated visitors at the 31st China Yangling Agricultural Hi-tech Fair. In the bustling sales area, Lahore-based businessman Aqi Muhammad engages customers in fluent Chinese, enthusiastically promoting his products. “Red bracelets look especially good on Chinese people; they enhance your skin tone. Let me help you try one on—no pressure to buy, just ask your husband how it looks,” he says to a curious shopper.

“Only four hours into the fair, and I’ve already had significant sales. I expect a surge in orders during the final two days,” he shares, adding that he also participated last year, finding Yangling particularly favourable for selling his bracelets. Manufactured in Pakistan and shipped to China, Muhammad’s products highlight a decade-long connection between the two countries through his business.

Meanwhile, Karachi-based artisan Hussain Syed Arif draws customers with his unique copper handicrafts, speaking in basic Chinese. “Chinese buyers appreciate Pakistani crafts as a symbol of refined taste, and business is booming,” he says. Like Muhammad, Arif’s products are crafted in Pakistan and benefit from the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and free trade agreements, which facilitate easy export.

In addition to Pakistani handicrafts, agricultural achievements from both China and Pakistan have attracted significant attention, drawing officials eager to learn about ongoing collaborations. Among the visitors were Yao Hongjuan, Director of Shaanxi Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, and Khalil Hashmi, Pakistan’s Ambassador to China. They visited the Sichuan Puji Holdings Company Limited booth, where they were briefed on a pioneering chili cultivation project under CPEC.

“We have a 30,000-acre chili cultivation area in Pakistan using seeds and technology from China,” explained Duan Hongjun, Deputy General Manager of Puji Holdings. “After harvesting, we’ll minimally process the chilies for sale back to China. Pakistan’s potential for agricultural development is immense, with land prices and labour costs much lower than in China. Currently, we employ 120 Pakistani staff, over 80% of whom hold postgraduate degrees in agriculture-related fields.” Alongside training local agricultural technicians, Puji Holdings plans to introduce Chinese machinery to improve efficiency in harvesting and sorting.

Across the pavilion, Wuhan Qingfa Hesheng Agricultural Development Company Limited showcased its agricultural success in Pakistan. For nearly two decades, the company has promoted hybrid rice, registering eight rice and one rapeseed variety. “Since 2009, we’ve invested in canola breeding research in Pakistan, creating the high-quality HC-021C hybrid canola, with an oil content of over 38%—10% higher than local varieties,” explained Chen Yaodong, company supervisor. This variety was cultivated on over 400,000 hectares by 2023. Nuran Niyazaliyev, Deputy Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, noted in an interview, “The Yangling agricultural demonstration base fosters cooperation and exchange among member states, strengthening partnerships and promoting multilateral agricultural development.”