Pakistan seeks to boost Basmati, halal meat exports to Saudi Arabia
Seventeen of 31 Pakistani slaughterhouses have received Saudi approval following a technical assessment, officials said at the meeting.
Pakistan is ready to boost agricultural exports to Saudi Arabia, particularly Basmati rice and halal meat, the state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Tuesday.
Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain made the case while meeting Saudi Ambassador Dr Rajeh Tami Al-Bugamy in Islamabad.
Both sides said they were committed to turning strong political ties into economic and agricultural cooperation.
The discussions also followed up on a recent visit by the Saudi Minister of Agriculture and on a joint technical team set up to advance cooperation in priority areas.
Particular focus was placed on raising Pakistan's share of the Saudi rice market.
The meeting noted that 17 of 31 Pakistani slaughterhouses have received approval following a Saudi technical assessment.
The two sides discussed cooperation in nine priority areas, including rice, meat and livestock, green fodder and dry camel milk.
The Saudi ambassador said his country is willing to increase purchases of Pakistani agricultural products, provided they meet internationally competitive standards of quality, pricing, quantity and packaging.
Both sides agreed to use the recently established technical mechanism to remove trade and regulatory bottlenecks and speed progress in the identified areas.
Saudi Arabia is one of Pakistan's important trading partners in the Gulf region, and Basmati rice is among the country's best-known export products.
