ISLAMABAD, Nov 29: Pakistan and Malaysia have decided to further enhance bilateral cooperation in the field of agriculture with latter agreeing to import more livestock, fish, rice, beef, fruits and vegetables from Pakistan.

“We are already importing a considerable amount of rice, fruits and other food products from Pakistan and we want this cooperation to grow further in the coming months,” said Malaysia’s Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar during a meeting with Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Mir Israrullah Zehri in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.

The Malaysian minister called for relaxing the procedure for importing more animals from Pakistan as Malaysia was in need of many more. Appreciating the quality of Pakistani fruits specially mangoes and kinno, he hoped that the quantum of fruits being imported from Pakistan will increase with the passage of time.

Datuk Seri Omar noted that three separate memorandums of understanding exist between Pakistan and Malaysia for exchange of scientific knowledge and technology cooperation as well as for the import and distribution of fruit juices, fruit-based consumer products and frozen beef from Pakistan to Malaysia. Similarly, a Letter of Intent had also been signed between the Punjab government and the Department of Veterinary Services Malaysia for expanding cooperation in the veterinary sector.

He said that the Malaysian government had moved swiftly on implementing these agreements and it had already granted license for export of Pakistani beef to Malaysia. A total of 171 animals, including Neeli Ravi buffaloes, have also been imported from Pakistan for developing Malaysia’s buffalo industry and improving the bovid gene pool.

He also referred to the growing import of Pakistani rice to Malaysia which earlier imported 43,000 metric tons of Pakistani rice in 2009. This amount increased to 123,000 metric tons in 2010 and to a sizeable 148,000 metric tons in 2011 respectively.

Speaking on the occasion, Mir Israrullah Zehri urged the Malaysian government to consider increasing import of beef and mutton from Pakistan as quality of meat was very good.