Argentina Offers Help to Cut Pakistan Agriculture Losses
Argentina has offered its expertise in farm machinery, grain storage and post-harvest management to help cut Pakistan agriculture losses, which eat into a large share of the country’s produce every year. Argentine Ambassador Sebastian Sayus made the offer during a visit to the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where he also pointed to joint ventures in agriculture, dairy and pharmaceuticals.
The offer speaks to a long-standing weakness in Pakistan’s food chain. Produce is grown in large quantities, but too much of it never reaches a buyer in good condition. Tribune reported that Sayus linked the losses directly to inefficient storage facilities and inadequate post-harvest management, and he argued that Argentine technology could help close that gap.
Pakistan agriculture losses: the scale of the problem
The figures Sayus cited are stark. Pakistan lost 10 to 20 per cent of its grain production and 35 to 40 per cent of its horticultural produce annually, he said. Horticultural produce covers fruit and vegetables, the most perishable part of the food chain and the part where poor storage does the most damage.
Those losses hurt twice over. Farmers lose income on crops they grew but could not sell, and consumers face tighter supply and higher prices for the produce that does reach the market. Better storage does not grow a single extra tonne, but it keeps more of what is already grown available for sale.
Argentina, one of the world’s leading food-exporting countries, has built its export strength on exactly this part of the chain: machinery, storage and handling systems that protect grain and fresh produce after harvest. Sayus said that expertise, including silo bags and metallic silos, could be effectively introduced and developed in Pakistan.
What Argentina offered
The offer covers advanced agricultural machinery, grain storage technologies and post-harvest management. Silo bags, a low-cost flexible storage method widely used in Argentina, and metallic silos, a longer-term fixed option, were both mentioned as solutions that could fit Pakistani conditions.
Sayus expressed confidence that Argentina could play a meaningful role in helping Pakistan strengthen its agricultural supply chain, reduce wastage and improve the value of its agricultural output. With Pakistan increasingly focusing on large-scale agricultural storage solutions, he saw considerable scope for cooperation, technology transfer and mutually beneficial investment.
The conversation went beyond grain. The ambassador identified significant potential for collaboration in the dairy industry, and he highlighted Argentina’s advanced pharmaceutical capabilities, especially in the manufacturing of oncology products used in cancer treatment. Joint ventures and business-to-business partnerships were raised as the route for that cooperation, rather than state-to-state aid.
Why it matters for Pakistani farmers and shoppers
For farmers, storage is often the difference between selling at harvest, when prices are lowest, and selling later, when the market pays more. A farmer who must sell immediately because the crop will spoil has no bargaining power. Reliable storage gives that farmer time, and time is worth money.
For shoppers, lower post-harvest losses mean steadier supply of fruit, vegetables and grain, and less upward pressure on food prices. Pakistan’s wider trade picture gives the offer context: Feature Pakistan has reported on Pakistan setting a $200 million trade target with Tajikistan, on Pakistan’s top textile firms posting Rs52 billion in profit, and on Pakistan’s EU trade benefits facing risk as an India deal nears. Agriculture sits alongside those stories as a sector where practical cooperation can change daily economics.
What happens next
No deal was signed at the Karachi chamber visit, and the offer should be read as an opening, not an agreement. The next step would be for Pakistani firms and chambers to test Argentine equipment and storage systems against local crops, climates and costs, and for both sides to shape joint ventures that suit those conditions.
If that work moves ahead, the test will be practical: do silo bags and metallic silos cut the 10 to 20 per cent grain loss and the 35 to 40 per cent horticultural loss in real Pakistani conditions, and at a price farmers and traders can afford. The ambassador’s visit puts the technology on the table. Whether it reaches the farm depends on what businesses do next.
The offer comes as imported wheat failed to cut flour prices, fertiliser curbs hit sowing in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and the ECC asked where China-trained agri experts are placed.
Frequently asked questions
What has Argentina offered Pakistan?
Argentina has offered expertise in advanced agricultural machinery, grain storage technologies and post-harvest management, including silo bags and metallic silos, to help reduce crop losses.
How large are Pakistan’s post-harvest losses?
Ambassador Sebastian Sayus said Pakistan lost 10 to 20 per cent of its grain production and 35 to 40 per cent of its horticultural produce annually, largely because of inefficient storage and inadequate post-harvest management.
Where was the offer made?
Sayus made the offer during a visit to the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where he spoke about joint ventures and business-to-business partnerships.
Does the offer cover sectors beyond agriculture?
Yes, the ambassador also identified potential collaboration in the dairy industry and highlighted Argentina’s pharmaceutical capabilities, especially oncology products used in cancer treatment.
Has any deal been signed?
No deal was reported from the visit. The offer covers cooperation, technology transfer and investment, and any joint ventures would follow business discussions between firms on both sides.
