STAFF REPORT IBD: Pakistan and Malaysia have decided to further enhance bilateral cooperation in the field of agriculture with the latter agreeing to import more livestock, fish, rice, beef, fruits and vegetables from the former.

“We are already importing a considerable amount of rice, fruits and other food products from Pakistan and we want this cooperation to grow further in the coming months,” said Malaysias Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar during a meeting with Pakistans Minister for National Food Security and Research Mir Israrullah Zehri in Kuala Lumpur, said a statement received here last week.

During the meeting, Datuk appreciated the quality of Pakistani fruits specially mangoes and kinoos and hoped that the import will increase.

He noted that following his visit to Pakistan, three separate MoUs had been signed between the two governments for exchange of scientific knowledge and technology cooperation as well as for the import and distribution of fruit juices, fruit-based consumer products and frozen beef from Pakistan to Malaysia.

Datuk said that his government had moved swiftly on implementing these MoUs and it had already granted license for export of Pakistani beef to Malaysia.

He also referred to the growing import of Pakistani rice to Malaysia which imported 43,000 MT of Pakistani rice in 2009 but increased it to 123,000 MT in 2010 and to a sizeable 148,000 MT in 2011 respectively.

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