Pakistan is set to hold the first-ever date festival in September this year, said federal Minister for Industries and National Food Security on Tuesday. H.E. Dr. Abdul Wahab Zayed, the Secretary-General of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, called on Federal Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain and discussed cooperation and matters of mutual interest. The minister hailed the efforts of Khalifa International Award for organising date festival in Pakistan in September 2024 and also assured all-out support of his ministry in making the upcoming event a success. Federal Minister Rana Tanveer highlighted that Pakistan is the world's fifth largest date-producing country, expressing optimism regarding the enhancement of date exports through effective initiatives of the current government. He said efforts are underway to boost date exports for betterment of date farmers in Pakistan. Dates are an important crop for Pakistan, providing nutritious food and creating job opportunities in rural areas, he maintained. The federal minister said Pakistan's annual date production exceeds 150,000 metric tons, positioning the country as a significant player in the global date market. Pakistani dates, especially the renowned Dhakki dates, are globally popular due to their unique taste and quality, he added. The minister said Pakistan aims to set up processing plants in key areas to boost dates value chain, contributing to the production of high-quality date products, including date sugar and date juice. He said establishing processing plants will increase shelf life of dates, benefiting farmers with additional income opportunities and generating employment in the agriculture sector. “These initiatives will not only enhance agricultural productivity but also create job opportunities,” he said, stressing government's commitment to boosting Pakistan's agricultural capabilities.
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