A cohort of 885 Pakistani agricultural professionals has returned from advanced agriculture training in China and will begin work as master trainers across the country. The group, comprising 648 men and 237 women, completed intensive courses at five leading Chinese universities and institutions and are now preparing to transfer new techniques and technologies directly to local fields.
The programme was launched under the Prime Minister’s initiative for capacity building and is being executed by the Higher Education Commission with guidance from the Ministry of National Food Security and Research. Participants were selected through a rigorous and inclusive process from federal and provincial research institutes, universities and the private sector, with a special quota to ensure representation from Balochistan and other underrepresented regions.
Training focused on nine priority areas designed to address Pakistan’s agricultural challenges, including farm mechanisation with modern tools for efficiency; crop speed breeding for cotton, hybrid rice, vegetables, pulses, wheat and alfalfa; high-level technologies such as drones, IoT and AI applications in farming; advanced seed production and processing; livestock health and disease surveillance systems; genomics for livestock breeding improvements; aquaculture with shrimp production and processing; high-efficacy water management and irrigation systems; and value addition through fruits and vegetables processing.
These returned professionals will act as master trainers to cascade their learning to thousands of farmers, extension workers and students, promoting adoption of China-tested approaches in mechanisation, crop breeding and water-saving practices. The rollout of these techniques is expected to boost productivity, strengthen food security and stimulate economic opportunities in rural communities while expanding practical knowledge through local demonstration and training sessions.
While 885 trainees have completed their agriculture training and returned home to begin implementation, another 115 candidates are expected to travel for training in April 2026 to complete the planned cohort of 1,000 beneficiaries. The initiative emphasises hands-on expertise so that Pakistani institutions and farming communities can apply modern methods directly on the ground.
Beyond immediate technical gains, the programme aims to modernise Pakistan’s agricultural landscape through sustained international cooperation, building a permanent cadre of skilled master trainers who will continue to adapt and scale innovations for local conditions and needs.
