Karachi, Pakistan:
It is a fact that Pakistan is an agrarian country and 70% of its livelihood depends on the food and agriculture sector. To promote cultivation, enhance business opportunities, and attract foreign investment, Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) organised Pakistan’s First International Food and Agriculture Exhibition titled FoodAg 2023 at Expo Centre. The event ran for three days and had many things going on the sideline apart from the grand exhibition.
FoodAg 2023 began with great enthusiasm on August 10. Vans and cars full of foreign delegates started gathering at the entrance with the management team greeting them and networking on site. Over 600 delegates from around the world hoisted their flags while taking pictures with their delegations and other allies. It was a wholesome moment to witness such an international exposure in Karachi.
The warm welcome was followed by an Inauguration Ceremony where the Chief Guest was Mr. Kamran Tessori, Governor of Sindh. He walked into a hall full of foreign delegates networking with each other. The Exhibition was declared open by Mr. Tessori with a digital button. The stage was then graced by insightful speeches delivered by the keynote speaker, CE TDAP Zubair Motiwala, Secretary Commerce Muhammad Sualeh Ahmad Farooqui, and Major General Shahid Nazir from the Special Investment Facilitation Council.
Here’s five things that we loved seeing at FoodAg 2023 and are truly commendable.
1. Connecting local companies with foreign buyers
The exhibition halls, all five of them, were abuzz with productive conversations between exhibitors – the representatives of local companies – and international buyers. Whether it was sugar, wheat, rice, dates, confectionery, beverages; there was a crowd at each stall. It is commendable that TDAP provided this platform to local companies to display their work on a global stage. Whichever hall you walked into, there were foreigners exchanging cards, shaking hands and using their translators to talk to company representatives. The whole sight was a bright promising future for Pakistan’s economy.
2. MoU signings in place
Consequently, several MoU signings took place at the event. Some of them include a collaboration between TDAP UNITC, opening doors to new trade horizons. Guard Rice and Leaton China also partnered to bring quality grains to global tables, and Altec Pakistan and Leaton China unite for innovative agri solutions. At the exhibition location in Hall 1, we witnessed Khairpur Foods collaborating with Al Khair Group from Kazakhstan for quality dates. It was a proud feeling altogether.
3. B2B meetings
On the sideline of the exhibition, CE TDAP and Secretary Commerce held several meetings on B2B trade with individual delegations to discuss possible future collaborations and introduce Pakistan as one of the top ten producers of agriculture produce in the world. They engaged in productive conversations on Pakistan’s export potential and how to increase the numbers while sustaining ethical and smart practices in farming, growing and packaging. There were conversations on the treatment and export of livestock and related products too.
4. Agri Investment Conference
On the first day, there was an Agri Investment Conference that commenced with a panel discussion featuring heads of Provincial Boards of Investment. This platform provided insights into the lucrative investment opportunities present in Pakistan’s agricultural sector. The speakers also presented the facilitation, protection and retention efforts of the Government of Pakistan for international investors. Mr. Motiwala, in his keynote speech at the Inauguration Ceremony, also emphasised on the need for smart farming solutions such as seed banks, tissue culture, and corporate farming.
5. Global Cuisine Show
Last but not the least, FoodAg 2023 featured a Global Cuisine Show where international and national chefs gathered to host live cooking shows. There were chefs from Turkey, Azerbaijan and Poland. Apart from the shows, there were stalls showcasing premium goods and street food from Pakistan. The atmosphere was so lively, there were dances and music playing from different countries. There was a photo booth as well.
Kudos to TDAP for bringing Pakistan on the international stage!