Malaysia agrees to import rice, cattle from Pakistan : Qureshi

Malaysia agrees to import rice, cattle from Pakistan : Qureshi


KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has expressed its willingness to import rice and cattle from Pakistan and Malaysian delegation comprising official and private officials would visit Pakistan in December for the import of mango and other fruits.
The willingness was shown by Malaysian Agricultural Minister Haji Nooh Bin-e-Omar during meeting with visiting Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Tuesday.
Both the leaders during their meeting discussed in detail agriculture and agricultural industries, livestock and on the promotion of Halal food industry.
Malaysian Minister said Malaysian delegation would visit Pakistan soon and would hold meetings with Pakistani counterparts, while he would visit Pakistan next December and agreement-promoting cooperation in agriculture and livestock fields would be signed.
During the meeting, Qureshi said Pakistan produces high quality basmati rice in enough quantity, which is popular throughout the world due to its good taste and smell, while it has vast reservoirs of the rice for exporting it to Malaysia and there is no hurdle to disconnect its transportation.
Qureshi said Halal meat is being used in enough quantity and we have the international standard system for its processing and packing, through which severe scarcity of meat could be ended in Malaysian markets by providing freeze beef and mutton, while it can also import mango and other fruits of international standard.
He said Pakistan is the biggest country in the world of producing milk and its products, which neither could fulfill needs of Malaysian but could also improve Pak-Malaysian cooperation in this field regarding promotion of modern technology.
Pakistan can provide technical help to Malaysian in the field of cattle production and in the field of anti-cattle diseases, so that could increase the number livestock in Malaysia, adding, Pakistan can also export cows of Sahiwal breed and buffalos of Neeli Ravi breed.
Qureshi during the meeting invited the Malaysian Minster to visit Pakistan in December to promote Pakistan-Malaysian cooperation in food, agriculture and livestock and said Pakistan wanted to send technical manpower to Malaysia, so that could play role in the development of Malaysia.
He said Pakistan wants to avail the experiments of Malaysia and other countries in packing, processing and marketing fields for increase in trade volume and development and emphasized on the setting up of joint working group for increase in import and export of rice, beef, mutton, mango, milk and its products and promotion of cooperation in other fields and the working group should include representatives of government and private sectors of the two countries.
The Malaysian Minister welcomed the proposals of Shah Mehmood Qureshi and expressed his full willingness to them, saying, his countries takes interest in importing rice and cattle, so that could meet the country requirements effectively.
He said the Malaysian delegation during its visit in December would hold meetings with their Pakistani counterparts for the import of mango and other fruits, milk and its products.
Accepting the invitation of Pakistan visit, the Malaysian Minister thanked Shah Mehmood Qureshi and expressed the hope that during his visit to Pakistan agreement promoting Pakistan-Malaysian cooperation in food, agriculture and livestock would be signed.