SIFC and Saudi company sign agreement to ‘cultivate 5,000 acres of cattle fodder’

• Pakistani soil has great potential for raising high quality livestock.
• New deal part of Saudi Arabia’s pledged investment in Pakistan.
• Fodder — high quality stable diet for dairy cattle — for export.

Enhancing bilateral cooperation in the livestock sector, the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) and Saudi Arabia’s Najd Gateway Holding Company signed an agreement to “cultivate 5,000 acres of alfalfa fodder” for export purposes.

The new agreement was signed to grow fodder – a major source of protein for livestock, and also a staple diet for dairy cattle, beef, horses, sheep, goats and other domestic animals – to be exported, according to Radio Pakistan.

Pakistan’s soil has great potential for breeding high-quality livestock products with high nutritional and protein content, the statement said, adding: “This crop is grown in many countries of the world and is considered a livestock crop of great importance.”

The SIFC, a hybrid forum jointly run by the political and military top team, acts as a dynamic ‘Single Window’ platform to attract foreign investment, facilitating complex business processes and avoiding excessive delays.

The main purpose of the council was also to provide a central forum for stakeholders to undertake cross-sectoral reforms and develop an enabling policy environment, necessary for improving the investment ecosystem, besides creating awareness about Pakistan’s untapped potential.

The fodder deal was also a step forward in investments in Pakistan worth $25 billion each pledged by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by September 2023.

Ahead of that deal, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s support for Pakistan in a congratulatory phone call with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after assuming the prime minister’s office earlier this month.

During the phone conversation, MBS congratulated the Prime Minister on his re-election, in response to which Prime Minister Shehbaz thanked him for the phone call and warm greeting message he sent soon after assuming office.

In another development this month, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), owing to its long-standing fraternal relations with Pakistan, has launched a gift program that provides distribution of high-quality dates that translate into 30,000 individual gifts to people during the holy month of Ramadan.

The implementation of the program comes after the attendance of the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Sheikh Guidance Dr. Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh.

The sister countries enjoy strong state-level relations in various fields, including trade and defense. Riyadh has helped Islamabad in difficult times to help Pakistan stabilize its economy amid a severe crisis, offering immediate financial aid as well as providing oil on deferred payment facilities.