Pak-Australian trade sees increase in 2017: Australian HC

KARACHI, Nov 26 (APP):This year witnessed further boost in the Australia-Pakistan bilateral trade and education
relationship as both the countries are enjoying continued increase in gross domestic product (GDP).
“In Australia’s case this represented our 26th consecutive
year of economic growth,” said Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Ms. Margaret Adamson, while speaking at the annual dinner of Pakistan Australia Business Forum, here, said a statement on Sunday.
She elaborated that the bilateral trade enjoyed its fourth
successive year of growth and “we saw exports from Australia to Pakistan grow to almost Australian dollars 1,700 million in two way goads and services trade that is a milestone in maturing economic partnership between the two countries”.
She said Australia – Pakistan Joint Trade Committee meeting
to be held soon that would be a positive step at an official
level in strengthening the mutual understanding. “At the meeting, we would look at many aspects of the bilateral relationship and some next step opportunities for both the countries.”
“I feel there are opportunities, specifically in education,
food, beverage and franchising agri-business and agri-science
(dairy, feedlot and commodities) ,” she said.
Australian envoy noted that both the countries moving closer
in people -to -people relations. Last year, 15,800 Pakistani
students chose to study in Australia which was one of top three
destination choices for Pakistani under-graduate and post
-graduate students.
In 2017. Australian companies demonstrated strong commitment
to adding value in Pakistan through downstream dairy processing
and product development for export, leveraging strength of
Australia as the world’s third largest dairy exporter to support
Pakistan build its dairy production through dairy cattle exports,
and consulting around better feed, farm management Prentice’s,
fodder and proven quality genetics.
On the Occasion Ms. Leonie Muldoon, Minister Commercial
senior trade & investment commissioner, South Asia, in her speech
said that during the current year, cotton season in Pakistan was
enhanced by an Australian training initiative designed over the
time to support up-skilling 225000 Pakistani cotton farmers for
making domestic production more competitive in the European
markets.
In 2017, Australia began to extend the work already engaged
in, with Pakistan in dairy and cotton to feedlots, animal
fattening (goat, sheep and beef) and meat supply chain services.
Use of technology and expertise from Australia was assisting
Pakistan to increase the volume and value of meat production for
local and export demand across designing, breeding, feeding,
traceability, finishing and processing of meat.
Next year, 10 Pakistan feedlot farmers will be visiting
Australia for training. Pakistan’s focus on energy, including
renewable and mining as priority sectors opened up additional
areas for collaboration. Pakistan’s focus on developing more
sophisticated mining operations through projects such as Thar
coal, and the development of hydro power Infrastructure might
invite Australia’s decades of experience and modern technology.
She advised that Pakistan needed to make a quantum leap
forward in productivity and safety standards.
On the Occasion, Chairman PABF, Pervez Haroon Madraswala,
also highlighted PABF’s activities.