The United States highlighted opportunities to strengthen cooperation with Pakistan in agricultural technology, saying greater adoption of American innovation could help modernize the country’s farm sector while expanding bilateral trade and investment. US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie A Baker made the remarks during a Direct Line webinar organized by the Business Council for International Understanding in collaboration with the US Embassy in Islamabad, the US Department of Commerce, and the Government of Pakistan, with the virtual event bringing together American businesses and investors, Pakistani government officials, and representatives of the agriculture sector.
Baker said American agricultural innovation could help advance Pakistan’s efforts to modernize and integrate technology into its agricultural sector while creating new commercial opportunities for both countries. She noted that agriculture remains a key pillar of Pakistan’s economy, contributing nearly one quarter of the country’s gross domestic product and supporting millions of livelihoods, framing the sector’s scale as one reason technology adoption there carries outsized economic significance compared to similar investments in smaller sectors of the economy. She said Pakistan’s efforts to modernize its agricultural sector presented opportunities for American companies to introduce technologies and expertise in areas such as precision agriculture, advanced irrigation systems, digital farm management, and cold chain logistics, adding that American companies are well positioned to bring their expertise, technologies, and decades of practical experience to the table in ways that could help improve productivity while conserving resources.
The webinar formed part of the US Mission’s broader agenda to promote economic cooperation and expand commercial ties with Pakistan. Baker highlighted that in 2025, US exports to Pakistan surged past $1.5 billion in agricultural and related goods, underscoring the existing scale of trade even before any expanded technology partnership takes shape. Participants from Pakistan, for their part, outlined regulatory and policy measures aimed at facilitating greater imports of US agricultural products, including soybeans, cotton, and planting seeds, while also encouraging greater US investment in farm mechanization, controlled atmosphere storage, food processing, seed development, and biotechnology, giving the discussion a two way character rather than framing it purely around American companies entering the Pakistani market.
Baker said American investment offered long term benefits by combining technology transfer with local capacity building and business partnerships, arguing that when American companies bring innovative technologies to new markets, they share knowledge, train local partners, create lasting business relationships, and contribute to sustainable economic growth. The webinar also served as a preview of the US Department of Commerce’s Certified Agricultural Technologies Trade Mission to Pakistan, scheduled for October 26 to 30 and led by the Business Council for International Understanding, giving the discussion a concrete follow up event already on the calendar. Baker described support for US businesses seeking to invest in Pakistan as a core priority for the embassy, and acknowledged the participation of the Government of Pakistan, provincial authorities from Punjab and Sindh, the Special Investment Facilitation Council, the Green Corporate Initiative, and representatives of American businesses in the session.
Follow the SPIN IDG WhatsApp Channel for updates across the Smart Pakistan Insights Network covering all of Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.
