Pakistan is to continue exploring new markets for its agricultural products as it bids to swing the trade balance back in the country's favour.
That was the verdict of Pakistan's Minister for Commerce Makhdoom Amin Fahim, who was addressing the National Assembly question hour this week.
Minister Fahim noted that the Ministry was working on a strategy to explore new overseas markets and enhance the country's exports, with success already coming in countries such as China, Hong Kong, Russia, Malaysia, Africa and Eastern Europe, The Nation reported.
In addition, the Minister said that the possibility of exporting mango volumes to Australia was being explored.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Finance Hina Rabbani Khar noted that Zarai Taraqiati Bank Ltd had issued some PKR79bn (€658m) in agricultural loans during the first half of the financial year to around 600,000 farmers in Pakistan.
The Minister told the assembly that further loans would be issued by the bank to farmers this year, and also added that under the country's drought recovery assistance programme, work was progressing on 1,333 development schemes across Pakistan.
