Tehran - Pakistan’s growing demand for food, agricultural inputs and production equipment offers significant opportunities for Iran to expand agricultural and fisheries exports and deepen bilateral trade, an Iranian fisheries expert has said.

 

Tara Zarei, an expert with Iran’s Fisheries Organization, said agriculture accounts for 23.4% of Pakistan’s GDP and 33.1% of employment. The country’s reliance on imports of essential commodities and production inputs creates substantial potential for Iranian exporters.

 

She highlighted fisheries as a key area for cooperation, particularly seafood processing, sorting and packaging. Iranian processing facilities with valid health certifications could partner with Pakistani companies to process and repackage shrimp and marine fish for domestic and international markets.

 

“Opportunities also exist in aquaculture feed, probiotics, biological supplements and equipment.”

 

Zarei said Pakistan’s heavy reliance on imported edible oils and oilseeds could create opportunities for Iranian suppliers, while Iran’s petrochemical industry could help meet demand for urea and other nitrogen, phosphate and potash fertilizers.

 

Other potential markets include livestock and poultry products, animal genetics, frozen semen, veterinary vaccines and medicines, feed additives, as well as modern tractors, harvesters and precision-farming equipment.

 

Pakistan’s demand for certified seeds for vegetables, corn, sugar beet and pulses could also provide opportunities for Iranian seed companies. Zarei said agricultural barter arrangements could help expand trade while easing foreign-exchange constraints.

 

She also highlighted potential cooperation in forest restoration, ecosystem rehabilitation and technical and engineering services.

 

Zarei proposed establishing joint processing zones along the Chabahar–Gwadar corridor focused on fisheries, meat processing and packaging. Such facilities could strengthen bilateral trade and create a platform for exporting and re-exporting products to major markets, including China and the Persian Gulf states.