Pakistan's soybean imports on the rise

Pakistan continues to increase its purchasing of soybeans with imports expected to reach a record 1.6 million tonnes during 2016-17 and 2 million tonnes during 2017-18, according to a recent Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) report from the Foreign Agricultural Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Higher imports are a reflection of a tariff structure that favors soybeans over soymeal and growing demand from Pakistan’s poultry sector.

The report said imports of edible oils are proving to be slower than forecast as higher prices curb demand and increased imports and crushing of canola and soybeans offset some of the need for edible oil imports. Imports of both palm oil and soybean oil are now expected lower, but Pakistan remains one of the largest vegetable oil importers.Read More

Timely completion of energy projects under CPEC ensured

ISLAMABAD/BEIJING: Spokesman China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) on Wednesday said that all energy projects under CPEC would be completed by the given schedule and there was no confusion between Pakistan and China on this issue.

In a statement issued here, the spokesman said that the energy projects were initiated keeping in view the ongoing energy shortage in the country, out of which four projects had already been completed whereas work on other projects was underway according to the give time schedule.

Clarifying news item published in a newspaper, the spokesman said that during the sixth Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) on CPEC held in Beijing in December last year, the two countries decided to review the list of energy projects and to replace those projects which were not scientifically and technically unfit with the new ones.Read More

Satellite and text messages: Pakistani farmers' new irrigation tools

It is still beyond farmer Mohammad Ashraf’s comprehension that people in Islamabad can predict that it will rain in the next two days in his village. He is also astonished that, based on this prediction, they can tell him how much he should water his rice and sugarcane plantations.

“I marvel at this science of being able to predict something that is unknown and in God’s hands,” says the 36-year-old farmer. Read More