Mega cage fishing projects on the cards, says minister

ISLAMABAD: Ambassador of Korea in Pakistan Kwak Sung-Kyu along with the Korean Economic Counselor called on Federal Minister for National Food Security & Research Sahibzada Muhammad Mehboob Sultan here in Islamabad today.

The meeting basically focused on agro-cooperation between the two friendly nations, according to a statement.

The minister was apprised that in the first week of December 2018 a delegation of Korean agricultural experts is visiting Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) and National Agriculture Research Council (NARC) to monitor the research facilities and identify the areas where the mutual cooperation could be extended in the field of research.

Pakistan has backed and supported the establishment of World Fisheries University (WFU) in Korea as an international forum.

Mehboob Sultan said that MoU in the field of agriculture with the Republic of Korea will formally be signed and it will include wider areas of cooperation.

“We need a close partner in the region and Korea equipped with modern agro technology could be very viable choice when it comes to small agro machinery as there is at least 50,000 tractors shortage and also in the field of seed/cage fishing, rice improvement, integrated pest management and animal sciences sector,” he said.

The federal minister further was of the view that Korea is getting small amount of food items from Pakistan especially mango, rice, kinnow and dates but the scope needs to be widened and in this regard Korean experts could provide assistance by way of modern technologies, and assist for value addition in vegetables, fruit and dairy products.

He further said that a mega cage fishing project is likely to be announced soon in all four provinces which will promote cage fishing culture and will also identify the potential to augment the production of cold water fish in KPK and Gilgit Baltistan as Pakistan is targeting to increase its fisheries exports from $40 million to $1 billion.

He said since Korea is expert in deep sea fisheries and cage fishing, Pakistan could seek assistance in the sector from Korea.

Korean Ambassador Sung-kyu told the minister that the Republic of Korea could facilitate Pakistan in cage fishing by providing cage material, seed fish, storage, transportation facility according to international standards.

He further said that Korea is looking forward to train Pakistan Fisheries experts/scientists through trainings and thereby equip them with technologies which would be internationally viable.