ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has received 258 units of advanced agricultural machinery and irrigation equipment from China, while 885 Pakistani agricultural graduates have completed specialised training under the Prime Minister’s Agriculture Modernisation Initiative, according to official documents of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research available with Wealth Pakistan.
The programme is aimed at transforming Pakistan’s agriculture into a more technology-driven, climate-resilient and export-oriented sector by expanding mechanisation, improving productivity and introducing modern farming technologies.
The modernisation drive is being built around agricultural research, mechanisation, digital technologies and international cooperation, particularly with China.
As part of the broader reforms, the government has approved the National Agricultural Biotechnology Policy 2026 and National Seed Policy 2026, which are designed to support improved crop varieties, biotechnology and genome-based research, strengthen Pakistan’s seed system and encourage greater private-sector participation.
Pakistan-China Agricultural Research Cooperation Expands
A major component of the initiative is cooperation between the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS).
The prime minister gave in-principle approval on March 17, 2026, for restructuring PARC along the lines of CAAS and constituted a working group to oversee the process.
Under the proposed restructuring, five Centres of Excellence are planned at the National Agricultural Research Centre in Islamabad.
These centres will focus on genome-based research in field and horticultural crops, livestock genetics and health, climate-smart land and water management, artificial intelligence in agri-food systems, and food processing and value addition.
According to the ministry documents, the centres are expected to improve agricultural research, speed up technology transfer and strengthen Pakistan’s productivity, climate resilience and export competitiveness.
258 Chinese Farm Machines Distributed Across Pakistan
Mechanisation is another major pillar of the agriculture modernisation programme.
Under agricultural cooperation linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Pakistan received nine categories of advanced agricultural machinery, implements and irrigation equipment from China.
The equipment was assembled by PARC’s Agricultural Engineering Institute at NARC and was formally handed over on April 28, 2025, before being distributed among PARC and provincial governments.
The package included:
- 40 tractors
- 20 rotary tillers
- 30 rotary tillage fertiliser drills
- 40 crawler-type rice and wheat combine harvesters
- 8 corn harvesters
- 40 inter-tillage weeders
- 40 trimmers
- 20 hose-reel irrigation systems
- 20 photovoltaic water-pumping systems
Of the 258 units, Punjab received 75, Sindh 45, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 38 and Balochistan 36, while 64 units were allocated to PARC.
The government is also planning to establish a Centre of Excellence for Advanced Agricultural Mechanisation and Digital Agriculture at PARC in collaboration with CAAS.
The proposed centre is expected to serve as a national hub for research, adaptation, testing and commercialisation of technologies including precision agriculture, artificial intelligence, robotics, Internet of Things, drones and climate-smart farm machinery.
885 Pakistani Agriculture Graduates Complete China Training
The agriculture modernisation initiative also includes a flagship programme to train 1,000 Pakistani agricultural graduates in China.
So far, 885 graduates have completed specialised training, while the remaining 115 trainees are expected to leave for China in the final cohort.
The training covers nine priority areas, including aquaculture, crop breeding and genomics, farm mechanisation, fruit and vegetable processing, high-efficiency irrigation, drones, AI and IoT, livestock breeding, disease surveillance and seed production technologies.
The trained graduates are expected to work as master trainers, transferring modern agricultural knowledge and technologies to farmers, researchers, extension workers and educational institutions across Pakistan.
Officials expect the programme to support faster adoption of hybrid seeds, precision farming, mechanisation, water-efficient irrigation and value-added food processing, while also encouraging entrepreneurship and improving Pakistan’s agricultural export potential.
The initiative reflects a broader government push to link agricultural research, technology and skills development with the country’s food-security and economic priorities.
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