Expanding Agriculture can save Pakistan Billions in Import Costs, says FPCCI

Pakistan can preserve billions of dollars in precious foreign currency each year by expanding the cultivation of essential crops—such as wheat, sugarcane, and pulses—to curb reliance on expensive foreign food imports, according to Shahid Imran, Convener of the FPCCI Regional Committee on Food.

Addressing a delegation of women entrepreneurs led by Nida Tariq Ch, Imran called for a clear national strategy focused on maximizing land use, boosting crop yield, and ramping up local agricultural output.

Key Strategies for Agricultural Growth
To bridge the deficit between local consumption and supply, Imran urged stakeholders to adopt modern agricultural practices, including:

• Climate-Resilient Seeds: Investing in high-yield and weather-resistant crop varieties.
• Modern Infrastructure: Deploying efficient irrigation networks and farm mechanization.
• Quality Inputs: Ensuring farmers have reliable, timely access to vital agricultural supplies.
• Research & Support: Strengthening extension services and research to guide growers toward sustainable, high-yield crop choices.

He emphasized that unified action among the public sector, private industry, and local farmers is critical to achieving national food security and stabilizing the economy.

Food Import Trends (FY2025–26)
Delegation leader Nida Tariq Ch highlighted the growing financial burden of food imports, which reached $9.1 billion in the FY2025–26 fiscal year, primarily driven by imports of edible oils and sugar.

Both leaders agreed that prioritizing domestic agricultural resilience is essential to curbing foreign exchange outflows and protecting the country’s economic stability.