PM Shehbaz Sharif Declares Agriculture, Livestock Key to Economic Recovery

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday declared agriculture and livestock as the most immediate route to Pakistan’s economic recovery. Addressing a national seminar on “Harnessing Pakistan’s Livestock Potential,” the Prime Minister stated that the sector could revive the country's fortunes within a year if it moved decisively towards modern technology, research, and higher-value production.

He announced that the federal government would provide 100 percent funding for the development of a locally produced vaccine against foot-and-mouth disease, describing disease control as a critical step towards expanding livestock exports. Prime Minister Sharif highlighted that Pakistan is the world’s fourth-largest milk producer but has struggled to turn that production into greater economic returns through processing and value-added products.

The Prime Minister noted that the country’s agricultural wealth has remained largely untapped despite its fertile land, abundant water resources, and hardworking farmers. He identified the challenge not as a shortage of potential but a failure to modernise, with outdated methods, limited research, and weak adoption of technology preventing the sector from reaching its full potential. He also mentioned that Pakistan is advancing discussions with China to transform the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) into a more modern and capable institution.