Pak farmers keen to do business with Indian counterpart

Chandigarh, Dec 2 (UNI) Pakistani farmers were keen to do business with their Indian counterparts and believed that opening of trade between the two neighbours was just a matter of time.

''When trade opens up, as it will, there is tremendous opportunity for Indian industry and the agri-business of India to enter the Pakistan market,'' Afaq Tiwana, CEO, Farmers Associates of Pakistan, comprising of over 1,000 farmers, said here today.

Mr Tiwana, who was leading a high powered Pakistani farmers' delegation to the Agro Tech 2006 said Pakistan had over 20 million acre canal irrigated areas, and said they were already talking to Indian industry to make the beginning, taking one-step at a time.

''This will make Pakistani industry shape up,'' commented the Pak delegate, adding that they had imported potato seeds from India instead of Holland this year, and their farmers were very happy.

Mr Tiwana described the Agro Tech 2006 exhibition and conferences as a window for them. The shared ecology and practices made their visit to Agro Tech 2006 extremely beneficial he said, adding that agri-business in India was far more developed and the involement of industry in agriculture was also of a very high order.

Mohd Idris Khokkar, Chief Coordinator and Secretary General of FAP called for an Indo-Pak knowledge initiative with regard to BT cotton and other technologies.

''Technology is gatecrashing, we cannot stop that. But they do bring some disadvantages so we can research jointly and come out with our own indigenous technology suited to our common needs and climate,'' he said.

More Pakistani delegations are expected to visit the Agro Tech 2006 in the next two days, the FAP members said.

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